“The room inspired me to use my plaiting skills to revisit the world famous Italian Leghorn straw and the once world important Italian hat industry. The idea of a writer returning to this sumptuous comfortable space drew me to create a design that combines Italian heritage with 19th century lounging caps often worn by writers at the time the industry was in its prime.
Using straws that I selected for its range of Mediterranean sea colours I hand plaited a traditional Italian pattern once widely made in villages around Florence. The plait has been handstitched to shape, and a final exuberant flourish added as a trim. The straw was split by hand and milled before the plaiting process could begin. The trim is made using fine straw imitating the Italian wheat straws used by plaiters and an antique chenille thread has been worked into the pattern.
These skills once so prevalent throughout Europe are now on the verge of dying out. As one of the last traditional straw plaiters it has been my greatest pleasure to make this delicate hat and an honour to have this opportunity to take inspiration from a designer whose work and sentiments I greatly admire.”