About Me​

I have always been a maker. My earliest memories are of building a puppet theatre as a child and sewing costumes for its characters. At sixteen, after winning a small competition prize, I bought my first sewing machine and began making rag dolls, selling them at Covent Garden Market in London.
My career in millinery began with a chance meeting with theatre milliner Jane Smith. Together we made hats for film, television and theatre, including Poirot, The Sheltering Sky and Whoops Apocalypse!. Jane later offered me a partnership, and we built a successful international business before I went on to establish Herald & Heart Hatters, focusing on society clients, weddings and the Royal circuit.
One of the defining moments of my career came when Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemmings asked me to create the hats for Four Weddings and a Funeral. The film opened doors internationally, leading to fashion week exhibitions in London, New York and Paris, and stockists around the world.
After many years based in London, my husband and business partner, photographer Ken White, and I relocated to Rye, and in 2015 moved our base to France. I now work from my French studio, supplying the Rye shop and creating bespoke work for local clients and exhibitions — focusing once again on what I love most: designing and making exceptional hats.