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.
“Then the Duchess of Sussex wore a pillbox with feathers, one of my signatures, at Sandringham on Christmas Day in 2018 – she wears a hat so well. Faye Wong could get away with something crazy, maybe an ice cream cornet. Ali Wong would be another choice to wear one of my hats.”
Tell us about your new gig at Lock & Co. “It has been around since 1676 and is still family owned. I am head of design for the women’s hats, creating couture and demi-couture, as I do for my own label.”
Tell us about your “Haute Dogs” calendar. “My dog, Stevie, is a rescue from All Dogs Matter, and I launched the calendar in 2018, with the help of fellow dog-loving milliners. We create one-of-a-kind hats for each dog portrait, to raise money for the charity.
“This year we are raising money for Dogs on the Streets, the companions of homeless people. Each dog featured belongs to a homeless person and the money raised will contribute to its welfare. It has generated a really beautiful reaction.”
