Millinery artist Katie Svehla is inspired by the mundane in life. Through the use of traditional millinery techniques and her desire to put a hat on everyone’s head, she pushes the boundaries of playfulness in headwear. Katie believes the world would be a better place if everyone wore a fun hat.
Orbitty, Sinamay, wire
Sculpted wire covered and embellished in sinamay straw. Part of the collection inspired by The Jetsons.
Miss Solar System, Sinamay, wire
Sculpted wire partially covered in a soft sinamay. Part of the collection inspired by the Jetsons.
Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah, Wire, ping pong balls
Inspired by the background singer for "Jet Screamer" on The Jetsons. Sculpted wire with painted ping pong balls attached to a ball bearing to make them spin. Fully functional and accurate to the TV show.
Glass, Parasisal straw
Free formed parasisal straw hood. Part of the collection Frog on a Magnet.
Northern, Silk Abaca
Free formed silk abaca. Part of the collection Frog on a Magnet.
Pine, Pineapple leather, wool felt, seed beads
Blocked pineapple leather with cute outs encrusted with seed beads. Part of the collection Frog on a Magnet.
Clawed, Pineapple leather, beads, wire
Blocked pineapple leather embellished with wire and beads. Part of the collection Frog on a Magnet.
Pond, Wool felt, crinoline, embroidery floss, ceramic snails
Half free formed and half blocked oversized hat, embellished with a crinoline edge, ceramic snails, and embroidery floss inside the folds. Part of the collection Frog on a Magnet.
Floaters, Wool felt, coque feathers, seed beads
Blocked wool felt embellished with individually sewn in coque feathers and sead beads stacked at the base of each feather to give them volume. Stand alone piece.
I am a milliner. A milliner is someone who makes hats. Using a process based approach, I’ve spent years learning traditional millinery techniques and slowly integrating my artistic background into the designs. I use out of the box materials such as baking pans to find shapes and the inclusion of details that you don’t normally see on hats are integral to my design concepts. Unconventional materials including the insides of a watch, vintage wool, and beads textured from years of hands holding them become a central focus on my hats. My concepts come from my love for the mundane things in life. From grocery shopping to watching the sunrise, I find ways I can make them a little more my own, and my favorite way to do this is through hats. Svehla Millinery is my brand dedicated to putting hats on peoples heads. The joy on people’s faces when they see a wild design is what drives me most and pushes me to always be making. I believe that the world would be a better place if everyone wore a fun hat.
Raised in Cary, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Katie Svehla has been studying fashion since childhood and founded Svehla Millinery, her brand dedicated to putting hats on peoples heads, in 2020. Svehla has won the New Milliner award as well as the Innovation and Materials award for her millinery work through SAIC. In 2020, She worked with Ellen Christine, a couture milliner in New York. Her hats were featured in the UK’s The Hat Magazine in May of 2021. In the future, Katie hopes to expand her brand, Svehla Millinery, and own her own hat shop.