Meet milliner Awon Golding who counts Meghan Markle, Lady Gaga and rescue dogs as fans
- Raised in Hong Kong, the London-based designer found an early affinity with headwear
- ‘British millinery can be a little too sedate, I like to add exoticism’, she says,
What attracted you to hats? “I’ve always worn hats. Growing up in Hong Kong in the 1990s, I would wear men’s hats, trilbies and flat caps that I bought on trips to London, as they were quite unusual and a bit of a statement. That got me interested and, researching Philip Treacy’s hats, I realised they could be really special.”
What was the first hat you made? “My first was for a family wedding in England 15 years ago. It was a floral comb with dangly bits that drew lots of compliments, so the seed was planted. I have variously edited a magazine, been a magician’s assistant and designed educational Barbie laptops.
“Then, in 2009, I chose to do millinery. I studied at Kensington & Chelsea College. My first collection was inspired by Italian gelati and featured pom-poms as scoops of ice cream on a cornet headpiece. I wore it on the London Underground and it was definitely an icebreaker.”
Do your Anglo-Indian heritage and Hong Kong upbringing influence you? “Yes, in how I put my colour palettes together. For me, it is about being playful and joyful because sometimes British millinery can be a little too sedate. I like to add exoticism. Royal Ascot is big and loud and so I design show-stoppers for racegoers, but there must also be wearable mother-of-the-bride styles.”
Who are your celebrity fans and which Chinese stars would you like to see in your hats? “Lady Gaga was the first, in 2015, posting on Instagram a photo of herself wearing a purple velour boater with a candy crystallised veil while driving around Los Angeles. My head exploded; it was one of the sweetest experiences as a designer.