Jennifer Ouellette (milliner)

Designer Jennifer Ouellette wearing a millinery felt turban.

Jennifer Ouellette is a milliner based in New York City and Santiago de los Caballeros.[1] Jennifer designs hats for both men and women. Her headbands and hair accessories, in contrast to solely decorative hair accessories, are made using millinery principles so that they fit the head correctly and securely, like a well-designed hat.[2]

Early life and education

Born in St. Louis,[3] her mother owned a vintage clothing store where she developed her love for vintage fashion and millinery. Her father has a machinery company and is an industrial designer with 45 US patents specializing in complex packaging.[2] Jennifer adopted his philosophy of craftsmanship, quality and conscience.

Ouellete graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1989,[4] then studied Textile and Apparel Management, alongside Theater Design, at the University of Missouri, before going on to the London College of Fashion.[2] Afterwards, she worked as an intern with the major London-based milliner Stephen Jones.[1]

Business

Jennifer Ouellette's company has been independent since 1996.[2] Her work has been featured in Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, and Women's Wear Daily. She designed the headdress and handbag for Sarah Jessica Parker's 1997 wedding.[4] Other celebrity clients include Penelope Cruz, Gwen Stefani, Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears.[2]

In 2007, she opened a studio in Hudson Heights, Manhattan, [5] In addition to her New York studio, Ouellette has a smaller studio based in Santiago, in the Dominican Republic. Although more expensive than outsourcing to China and India, Ouellette has expressed appreciation for the Dominicians' fine hand-sewing.[2]

Exhibitions

Ouellette's work was featured in the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition Hats: an Anthology, curated by Stephen Jones. When the exhibit traveled to the Bard Graduate Center in New York, Ouellette was one of several local milliners (including Rod Keenan and Eugenia Kim) to have millinery designs included in the exhibition.[1][6] One of her designs in the exhibition featured a straw cityscape applied to a straw pagoda shape on a headband, which Ouellette said was in tribute to New York's resilence following the events of 9/11.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Sparks, Cator (September 2012). "Not to be Missed: Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones". Introspective Magazine (1stdibs). pp. 12–13. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Jennifer Ouellette Hair Accessories and Headbands". The Review Connection. The Review Connection. April 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "Missouri's Own: Jennifer Ouellette". Missouri Life. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Beck, Jo (3 November 2000). "Hats To Die For". Webster-Kirkwood Times. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Mokha, Kativa (8 April 2011). "Hudson Heights Pumps More-for-Less Theme". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones September 15, 2011 - April 15, 2012". Bard Graduate Center. Bard Graduate Center. Retrieved 14 July 2014.