ABOUT US

Ilana Meilak creative director of The House of Hats, is a high skilled and practiced Milliner based in Sydney, Australia.

Ilana’s obsession with hats started from a young age and was drawn to all things vintage as she grew up around antiques as her parents owned an antique shop.

ilana didn’t find her passion in life till she finally decided to study Millinery in 2005, where she completed studies of Millinery and Headwear at Tafe.

With previously possessing an extensive background in fashion design, make up artistry and visual merchandising and her forever love of hats , hat making came naturally to her.

Ilana developed the skills required to break into the millinery world, and her brand ‘ The House of Hats ‘was established in 2006 where Ilana opened her first store in Paddington in Sydney, attracting a wide variety of clients both near and far abroad

Ilana creates elegance and glamour time and time again and with particularly strong personal interest in the yesteryear she thoroughly enjoys researching old traditional millinery techniques, as well as collecting vintage materials and trimmings from all over the world, meaning her pieces are truly one of a kind.

Ilana specialises in a wide variety of couture hats headpieces and accessories with a strong focus on wearable everyday pieces with a vintage flair and her love of old Hollywood

drawing inspiration from old movies and film stars.

Ilana’s designs combine luxury materials and traditional craftsmanship. Each hat is meticulously designed, hand-sewed and hours are spent on perfecting each individual design. All hats are then blocked on a wide variety of antique wooden hat blocks, all custom and made to size.

The House of Hats uses only the highest quality materials to ensure you receive the most beautiful, everlasting quality hat. Ilana thrives on using vintage materials, dating back to the 1920s in all her designs to reflect the authenticity of that particular era.

The House Of Hats have also worked closely with brides all over Australia and overseas over the last 17years, attending Bridal Exhibitions designing and custom making Brides headpieces and accessories for their special day.

The House Of Hats have repeatedly been featured in bridal magazine Australia Wide such as Cosmopolitan Bride , Bride to Be, Sydney Bride & Hello May.

 Since establishing The House of Hats now seventeen years ago, Ilana’s designs have also enjoyed continuous high fashion press coverage, with her hats being featured in Russh Magazine , Harpers Bazaar Singapore, Elle Australia, Cosmopolitan, Grazia Bride, Cosmo Bride, Australian Traveller, Elegant and Shop Till you Drop & Camilla and have been exhibited in The Titanic Exhibition worldwide, featured on CW TV series ‘REIGN’ and Australia’s Next Top Model.

The House Of Hats has also graced the heads of many Australian and American models, TV presenters, musicians and has continuously be seen in Australian Designer ‘ Camilla’ ‘s Collection Campaigns.

Ilana currently works from her Studio & Showroom in Sydney Australia.

Ilana’s creations can be ordered through her online store and you can also visit her Sydney Showroom.

View The House Of Hats Collections Gallery to see Archive Collections and Click Shop now to view Our Online Boutique.

INTERVIEWS

Listen to our interview with Kia Handley from ‘ This Retro Life’ ..

interview with Hat Academy

For milliner Ilana Meilak, her ever enduring love affair with hats started from a very young age. Ilana's father was in the business of antiques and for Ilana, growing up around vintage clothing and accessories was always fascinating, however, it was hats that really captivated her young mind. She was so intrigued by the mystery behind them, pondering who the owner might have been and carefully analysing the stitches and craftsmanship. Ilana soon realised that she wanted to be a part of creating beautiful hats for people, passing on the happiness they gave her to whoever was lucky enough to discover her creations. She wanted to continue the craft and pass on the passion and she certainly has done that. 

What do you love the most about Millinery?
I love that I can express my creativity and that I have a passion for something that makes me so happy. The feeling of creating something for someone and seeing it on them and the happiness it brings them is priceless.

I love that I can use so many different fabrics and techniques and love challenging myself making my dreams reality. I love collecting antique hat blocks and vintage trims and mixing materials from another time with materials from this time. Nothing compares to the buzz I get after finishing a hat and looking at the finished product and knowing I’ve made something beautiful in this world. I love that I can bring an old skill into the modern world and leave my own mark on something for someone to treasure forever.

How did you get into Millinery?
My obsession for hats started at a young age, as my father owned an antique brass bed shop In Oxford Street Paddington in the late 80’s. Growing up around Antiques had a huge influence on me and opened up my eyes to another world. I was always drawn to vintage clothing and lead to collecting vintage hats. I loved the thought of the history behind the object, the craftsmanship and the thought of who owned that item and what their life was like, always fascinated me and let me escape back to the yesteryear.

After studying fashion design, make up artistry and visual merchandising over the years I decided the do something a bit different and studied millinery at Tafe in 2005 as at the time there was only a few milliners around. Millinery came very naturally to me as growing up my mother and I use to do a lot of needlecraft, drawing and sewing, something that was passed down from her generation so being creative was in my blood. I started off using a lot of felt and my first hat I made was a black and white 20s cloche and the rest is history.

How you would describe your designs?
The House of Hats designs are highly influenced by all things vintage.

Mostly Art Deco as I’m totally obsessed with that movement, the architecture, geometric design and the glamour really drives me creatively. I have a variation of different styles in my designs ranging  from cloches widebrim, boho hats, showgirl headdresses and bridal headpieces. A mix of bridal theatrical and everyday fashion pieces, but thay all have a vintage feel.  

My latest collection ‘Enchantment‘ which is a collection of headpieces mainly using brass components and Swarovski crystals is influenced by the fantasy Art Nouveau movement from water nymphs, butterflies and nature.  

We absolutely love this design can you tell us a little more about it?
This hat is called “ The Secret Garden’ inspired by the book and the fantasy of youth and innocence. It is a vintage mint straw base that has been blocked into a saucer shape and attached to a headband coved in vintage mint grosgrain.

I trimmed this hat with vintage Hydrangea petals to create a romantic feminine feel then finished it off with some hailstone veiling sweeping across the face.

What is your ideal Customer?
My ideal customer is someone who puts their trust in my work knowing and loves my style and really appreciates the hours and love I put into each hat for them to enjoy and treasure. I love seeing their reaction when they try on the finished product, it brings me such joy. 

What inspires you? 
Mostly anything from the yesteryear, the 1920s Art deco movement  through to the 70’s, colours, romance, art, fantasy, nature, texture. I have a huge collection of vintage books that I get a lot of my inspiration from.

What is your favourite material to work with?
Definitely fur felt, I love how you can manipulate it so much and pretty much create any shape using it and as it was the most used material in the 1900’s- 1940’s.  I love the movement of it.

I also love fabrics such as silk that I use in my turbans that have been very popular, I also use silk to hand tool all my flowers using antique French flowers tool that you heat up over a flame and mould each petal to create the perfect flower. I‘ve been using wire a lot lately with my bridal my crowns to create different styles and shapes being able to manipulate it creates a variety of different styles that I use with pearls and crystals. That has been a popular bridal trend at the moment.

What is your best Millinery Tip?
To not be influenced in what everyone else is doing and to create your own personal style. Experiment with different materials, think outside the square and stand out from the crowd. I’m always experimenting with different materials old and new and love mixing different mediums together. Millinery is wearable art and an expression. Live it, breathe it, wear it.

What has been the largest challenge you face in millinery and how did you overcome it?
Oh, that’s a hard one, it’s still a challenge to date, and I’m still being challenged every day. It’’s  hard stay afloat in a world where everything is so mass-produced and disposable.

It’s really about educating people on the love of a handmade product, it’s unique, hours go into it, so much love and passion, it’s not always easy, sometimes it’s a lot of trial and error but the finished product is so satisfying. Experience is everything. Millinery has become a very competitive trade when I started there was only a handful but now as the trade has grown a lot more.

I have never given up even in hard times, Millinery is a part of me and my life journey it is who I’ve become. 

Famous words to live by?
Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.

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