Lisa Tan
‘Cosmic Angel’
‘Cosmic Angel' blends contemporary elements and classical skills. Made from sinamay straw woven with lurex threads, this piece demonstrates how a thoroughly contemporary style can be made from the most traditional of fabrics and techniques. It was created completely by hand, without the use of any tools, sewing machines, or even hat blocks. The intricate petals are carefully hand-rolled and hand-shaped before being hand-stitched into place, with the piece taking over 40 hours to complete.
Price: £2550.
Materials and Techniques
Sinamay straw woven with lurex, wire. Hand-rolling and hand-shaping.
Millinery Heritage
“I always wanted to learn millinery, but when I lived in Perth, Australia, there was no one who taught it. It wasn’t until I moved to London and was dissatisfied with my career that I took a short course in millinery and decided that would be my new path. I’ve always had a soft spot for sinamay - having studied fashion design and experimented with bias cutting, I find sinamay behaves more like a fabric and responds particularly well when manipulated on the bias. Wherever possible, I like to use natural fibres and traditional techniques, as these form the foundations of millinery in my opinion.
My earliest memories of hats revolved around my mother, who was an artist and competent sewer, but not milliner. Each year she would create an elaborate hat out of cardboard to wear to a Melbourne Cup luncheon, and almost every year she would return home with the ‘Best Hat’ prize.”
About Lisa Tan
London-based Lisa Tan creates elegant, sculptural designs using traditional millinery techniques and materials. Her signature style fuses classic elements with a modern edge to produce distinctive silhouettes with a less-is-more aesthetic.
With a penchant for natural fibres and a fondness for straw, Lisa particularly enjoys working with sinamay, and especially on the bias. Her fascination with bias work began whilst studying fashion design, where she frequently experimented with bias cutting and learned how to manipulate various fabrics. Over many years of practice, Lisa has adapted and honed these skills for straw to create her signature sinamay techniques.
A long-time supporter of horseracing, racing millinery is Lisa’s specialty and her unique knowledge of racewear is sought-after in the UK, US and Australia by clients, stylists, and media alike.