Rachel Drewer.

You all know how much I love accessories. I believe that if accessorised properly any seemingly dull outfit can be transformed to glam!

When I attended the debut collection from The House of Sunny, one of the things that struck me most aside from the beautiful dresses were the incredible headpieces gracing the models.

One of the shows hat designers Rachel Drewer, had a drastic career change in order to feed her passion for all things beautiful, this collection was inspired by the worlds most prestigious ski resorts and combines structure and rich colours with neutral tones to make the pieces striking yet wearable.

I was lucky to be able to catch up with Rachel to find out a little more about why headwear makes her tick.

FashionWatching: What inspired such a drastic change of career for you?

Rachel Drewer: “I’ve always wanted to make beautiful things that serve a purpose I thought I would have to wait to pursue my dream, but then realised that I shouldn’t wait for a future that might not come.”

 FashionWatching: Why did you choose to design headwear?

 Rachel Drewer: “There are very few limits to design in headwear, you can go in any direction and use unusual shapes – it’s very expressive and I enjoy that creative freedom.  I also feel privileged to have a close working relationship with clients who commission bespoke pieces from me, and to create something wonderful that will make them feel a million dollars.”

 FashionWatching: Where do you take inspiration from for your pieces?

 Rachel Drewer: “It can be anything that sparks me off, but it’s often elements of the beautiful countryside where I live – berries, bushes, snow, frost, cobwebs…  I also like to work with geometric shapes and explore unusual materials.”

 FashionWatching: You recently featured your new collection at the House of Sunny’s debut show, how did you meet Sunny Williams?

 Rachel Drewer: “Sunny and I have both been taught by a wonderful lady called Caroline Gration.  Caroline told me about Sunny’s show and that he was looking for milliners – so I got in touch, and we went from there.  It’s been really exciting to work together and see how we can complement each other.”

 FashionWatching: What’s the most exciting thing that has happened for you since you started your business?

 Rachel Drewer: “The most exciting thing for me is to see how my work can capture someone’s imagination and excite them to the extent that they want to share the experience with others.  To be recommended in my work is the highest form of compliment for me, and clients will often find me through word of mouth.”

 FashionWatching: What are you looking forward to for the near future?

 Rachel Drewer: “I look forward to building my business up, to meeting many new people and introducing them to the joy of bespoke headwear.”

 FashionWatching: When do you launch your new collection? Are you able to give us any details about it?

 Rachel Drewer: “My collection for spring/summer 2011 will feature one-off hats and headpieces, celebrating all that is good about sunshine and long lazy days.  The collection will launch in spring.”

Below are just two of the beautiful pieces from Rachel’s current collection. To see more and get your own visit www.racheldrewer.com

The Aspen:

The Aspen - image courtesy of http://www.jermayconstance.com

The St Moritz:

The St Moritz- image courtesy of http://www.robjarvisphotography.co.uk

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