New Retailer: Portobello Hats

We're very excited to announce yet another new shop carrying House of Nines Design hats in California- Portobello Hats in Santa Rosa.

They carry vintage, classic, and hand-made hats for both men and women, and also offer classes in hat construction and design.


Here are a few shots of the interior of the shop.

Here are the first batch of our hats that they've got in stock now.

'Maxima' ladies cocktail hat in hunter green velour-finish felt with peacock feathers.

'Pluff' mini pillbox in pacific blue tones.

'Bird Series: Peacock' mini top hat in navy blue fur felt with blue and green ribbon trim, vintage silk veiling, and a big spray of peacock feathers.

'Una' petite mini top in camel long-nap felt with chocolate brown trim, silk veiling, and hand-curled pheasant feathers.

Be sure to check the shop out if you can make it in for a visit- they carry the work of a number of talented milliners!

New Hats at Mystery Mister

Just delivered several new hats to Mystery Mister in San Francisco, including:

A special 'Tilley' ladies soft bowler. This one in tweedy red felt with black and red ribbon trim. Not sure I'll be making more of these unless I hear good feedback on the style, so if you like it let me know.

A mini pillbox for the holidays, this 'Polly' in black with a big cockade, rooster feathers and veiling would look great with a little black dress for holiday parties.

 

New Retailer: Metis Makers in San Francisco

Yet another new retailer for us. Metis Makers, a new collective on Grant Street in North Beach, carries a range of hand-made products made by local designers and artists, including hats, leather goods, hand-made clothing, and jewelry. The shop is gorgeous! Be sure to check it out soon.

Their website doesn't have much on it yet, so see their facebook page for photos of the store, events, etc.

Yesterday, I took over a dozen new hats to the shop. Here are quick snapshots I took of some of them before they were delivered.

Just finished moments before being packed up for delivery, our very newest style, 'Cheri'. It will probably change a bit before its official release in 2014, so most likely this is a one-of-a-kind piece. Black velvety velour-finish felt with chestnut brown trim and a huge gilded glass button.

Here's 'Mattie' in navy blue fur felt with black trim and a spray of exotic feathers. I only had one of the antique buckle, so this hat is one-of-a-kind.

And 'Mrs. Belzoni', our newest cocktail hat style, in black and in hunter green with matching feathers and black trim. 

Head over there soon- they have lots of things that would make great holiday gifts, and Edwardian Ball-ready hats galore.

New Retailer: The Hatbox in Austin

So excited to have our work included in The Hatbox in Austin, Texas.

The Hatbox offers a wide selection of styles for men and women, stocking everything from fancy fascinators for special occasions to cowboy hats. They source hats from all over the world, from popular mass-market suppliers like Stetson to independent designers like us. And they're super nice people, so if you're in Austin be sure to stop by!

New Retailer: Hippik-Hippique

Our retailer Hippik-Hippique specializes in equestrian-related and -themed products, including:

• Hats! and other accessories- gloves, whips, etc.
• Elegantly tailored, bespoke riding ensembles and equestrian corsetry and apparel
• Perfume
• Art
• Antiques and vintage curiosities
• Jewelry
• Luxury horse care products and other things for the barn

They have an online store, but most of their business in conducted at horse shows, competitions, and events through the US and Europe. Their event schedule will start up again next year, so check their website in 2014 for upcoming events.

New Retailer: Orphic

Looking for hats in the Los Angeles area? Check out our retailer in West Hollywood, Orphic.

Orphic's gorgeous showroom on Sunset Boulevard is full of jewelry, art, and stylish couture clothing for men and women, including many one-of-a-kind pieces, all create by high-end independent designers and artists from around the world. We are very excited to be included in their collection!

Jill Tracy: Belle of The Edwardian Ball

"I revel in this nightmare but I keep waking up too soon..." Haunted By the Thought of You

One of our favorite customers is musical evocateur and Belle of The Edwardian Ball, Jill Tracy.  Dubbed "the cult darling of the Underworld" by LA Weekly and "the femme fatale for the thinking man" by The San Francisco Chronicle, Jill's music evokes another time and place. A place that could be inside a beautiful dream or, more likely, a glamorous nightmare.  

Jill Tracy wears 'Viola' mini top hat in tiger-print melousine at  DNA Lounge (photo courtesy of Audrey Penven)

Jill's musical gifts are matched only by her fantastic sense of style and we are delighted she often wears a House of Nines original on stage when she performs.  We are very excited to announce that she will soon start carrying some House of Nines exclusive styles at her online retail shop!

 Photo by filmmaker Jeremy Carr from "Portrait of a Nightmare"

Jill has been performing at The Edwardian Ball since its inception 13 years ago and her name has become synonymous with this ever-growing event for lovers of Edward Gorey, ballroom dancers, the Steam Punk set, and Edwardian-bedecked revelers.  Jill's haunting songs and stories set the mood for this annual music and art festival.

Jill Tracy wearing a custom 'Wellington' mini top hat at The Edwardian Ball (photo by Samuel Coniglio)

Jill is the first musician in history to receive a grant from the famed Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. The medical history museum contains a collection of medical oddities and antique medical equipment and Jill's new project for 2013 will be based on their collection. 

Jill Tracy performs a Musical Seance with violinist Paul Mercer at The Conservatory of Flowers (photo courtesy of Audrey Penven)

 Recently, Jill has continued with her series of concerts at The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Working with San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, Jill Tracy has created an unusual after-dark series focusing on a variety of alluring subjects (poisoning, alchemy, ghosts and violins, perfumes) while allowing audiences to tour the wondrous Victorian Greenhouse at night. 

Jill Tracy photo by Michael Garlington

Jill Tracy is also returning to the studio with the legendary David J (Bauhaus), and her song "The Colour of the Flame" will be released as a 7" collector's vinyl shared with Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten/ Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) for Swedish publishers Malört Förlag.

Jill Tracy performs in a custom 'Postillion' mini hat at The Edwardian Ball. (Photo courtesy of Audrey Penven)

For more information visit her official website at www.jilltracy.com.  Please follow Jill on Facebook and Twitter.

Lots of Hats Going to Lots of Retailers

Remember those 87,000,000 hats I've been working on all at once over the last few weeks? Well, at least a good chunk of them are now starting to get out into the world.

Here are all the places I've delivered hats to in the last couple of weeks, or will be shipping out to today:

Dark Garden in San Francisco
The Hat Shop in NY City
HatWRKS in Nashville
Jill Courtemanche Millinery in Solana Beach, CA
The Millinery Guild in Los Angeles
Mystery Mister in San Francisco

For locations and more info, click on links to the sites at the right, under 'retailers'.

New hats delivered include many one-of-a-kind pieces, and special color combinations that won't be produced again until sometime next year, if ever. You may remember that I released one set of new styles earlier in the autumn, and was planning to release another set of styles closer to the holidays, including new top hats and other festive special occasion wear. But there just hasn't been time to finish that line, nor to take photos of the samples I did manage to finish- The orders have been coming in thick and fast since September, from all of my customer bases (online sales, in-person custom work, and other retailers), so I haven't had time to do much of anything else over the last few months besides filling orders. Instead of keeping the completed holiday samples back, I've decided to place them with retailers to give you an early crack at them.

New Retailer: Jill Courtemanche Millinery

When I was in Southern California recently, I drove down from Los Angeles to the San Diego area to the brand new retail location of Jill Courtemanche Millinery, to deliver my first shipment of hats to the shop. As you can see in the photo below, her workshop is in a room behind the showroom area. I would love to have a similar set-up when I open my own shop someday.

Here's a photo of Jill.



Jill had officially opened the shop just the week before my visit, but she already had everything so organized and beautifully arranged. She told me that they had had to start building out the space from an empty shell, and she had obviously put a lot of thought and effort into making it fantastic. Her showroom area and studio are spacious and full of light, yet filled with so many great things to look at. I was impressed with her collection of vintage felts, and also with the range of different designers she carries, and I'm happy that my hats will be there in the mix.

We had exchanged emails before, but hadn't met in person, so we had a nice, long talk over lunch at a great cafe near the shop. Then Jill gave me a tour of the showroom, introducing me to the work of the various designers she has there. I had brought several boxes of hats with me- Jill chose three to keep in the store and placed an order for nine more styles. She'll have a selection of House of Nines Design hats in stock, including top hats and other minis, ladies casual hats, and mens hats too. And she's got some special styles and color combinations that you won't find online until next year, if ever, like this 'Viola' in silver gray long-nap felt with black trim.

If you're in the area, stop in to see what she has in stock and to have your head measured for a full-size hat- if you find a full-size hat you like there but need a different size, Jill can send me the style and size you need and I'll make one and send it on down.

For more info about Jill Courtemanche and her business, see below for a press release about her store opening.

JILL COURTEMANCHE MILLINERY TO OPEN IN SAN DIEGO

New York Hat Maker Relocates to San Diego Opening First Retail Shop Featuring Hand-Made Hats, Custom Bridal Headpieces and Modern Men's Accessories

(San Diego, Calif. - Sept. 6, 2012) - From fascinators to fedoras, Jill Courtemanche's hats have topped Yoko Ono, Donatella Versace, Princess Mary of Denmark, and football legend Jose Foure and now - after years of working in New York and Europe - she is opening her first retail store in the Cedros Design District of Solana Beach. Jill Courtemanche Millinery (JCM) opens November 8, 2012 and features handmade hats as well as bridal headpieces and veils and a modern collection of accessories for men. "I am so excited to be opening up my first store here in San Diego and having the opportunity to share my vision of fashion and design with a community that already had such rich ties to millinery in the Del Mar Race Track and San Diego Polo Club," Courtemanche said.

Jill Courtemanche graduated from New York City's prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in the mid-90's and after a decade of working alongside master artisans in New York and Europe, opened her namesake atelier in 2006. Courtemanche brings a young, feminine and contemporary approach to her hats while incorporating traditional techniques and craftsmanship. All JCM hats are handmade using vintage materials, trims and embellishments combined with modern fabrics.

The store is also Coutemanche's studio, so on any given day you will see her piecing together her one-of-a -kind creations.

"I have always wanted to open a hat shop with a voyeuristic feel to it, where clients could not only see the hats being made but be a part of the process," she said. "Starting with a shape and then choosing their own colors, fabrics, ribbons and trims. The luxury of getting exactly what you want, made to order at an accessible price point and shaking the hand of the milliner who made it."

JCM accommodates a variety of client needs, from hats for social events, horse races, religious services and nights on the town, to custom bridal pieces and a line of bow ties and pocket squares for men. Many styles are produced in limited exclusive quantities; custom creations are also available.

Courtemanche also teaches hat-making courses, for both beginner and more advanced students, which are attended by millinery enthusiasts from around the world. She currently has a series of classes scheduled on Sept. 23, Oct. 17, Nov. 13 and Dec. 8 at The Bravo School of Art in San Diego. In addition to Jill Courtemanche originals, JCM will also carry lines of hats from The House of MacGregor (Dallas, TX), Cigmond (Brooklyn, NY), Eggcup Designs (Dover, Delaware), Heather Huey (New York, NY) and Romer Millinery (Summit, NJ) as well as scarves and accessories from Untold Imprint.

Jill Courtemanche Millinery is located at 410 South Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach.