Unmissable millinery

Geelong’s Rebecca Share is an award-winning milliner to the stars.

Her millinery designs have adorned the likes of high-profile names such as fashion models Nicole Trunfio and Lindy Klim, Miss Universe Tegan Martin, and TV presenter Brodie Harper.

Her signature dramatic designs have been created exclusively for fashion labels, twice won at Myer Fashions on the Field, featured on TV programs Postcards and Today Extra, and even been worn by Jennifer Lopez on a concert tour of the United States.

 

Share grew up in a small town in central Victoria and fell in love with millinery as a 16-year-old high school student in Bendigo, when she made an outfit to wear to the Bendigo Cup in fashion studies.

After studying fashion design then millinery and beginning her career in Melbourne, Share made the move to Geelong, where she is now based, in 2004.

She said while it felt like a risky decision at the time to move away from the Melbourne millinery scene when social media and online shopping weren’t common business tools, it turned out to be pivotal in shaping her design process.

“I adapted what I create to suit ‘one size fits all’ and smaller pieces that were affordable to post and didn’t require client fittings.”

And now, she’s here to stay.

“I absolutely adore Geelong, it’s very much my home now… we live in a stunning, picturesque area opposite Buckley Falls,” she said.

Share describes her style, and the spring and summer 2022 season designs, as dramatic.

“Contemporary, dramatic, sculptural designs that scream look at me!” she said.

 

“I am mainly inspired by unusual materials, sculpture, colour, patterns and in general creating pieces that other milliners haven’t done.

“Early on in my career I designed hats for the late Lillian Frank, and I remember her saying to me at Melbourne Cup one year ‘You are too avant-garde for your time’. I took great offense to it back then as I just wanted to fit in, but I now know it is the greatest compliment I have ever received. Now I strive to achieve undeniable, contemporary, showstopper pieces that are far removed from traditional millinery styles; ‘avante-garde’ on steroids!’

 

This season, Share has already dressed Melbourne Cup Carnival ambassador Demi Brereton, Sydney model Nikki Phillips and Victorian Racing Club ambassador Crystal Kimber. She is now designing a bespoke hat for racing royalty Michelle Payne to wear at this year’s carnival, and designing bespoke pieces for fashion influencer Jasmin Howell.

Share said her career highlights had undoubtedly been winning the prestigious VRC Myer Fashions on the Field Millinery Award in 2011 and 2018.

“I am my own worst critic at times and sometimes doubt my work, so winning the Millinery Award was validation that I had finally made it, that I could give myself permission to stop doubting my work and back myself on the design direction I wanted to steer my brand to.”

She even caught the eye of Jennifer Lopez’s personal stylist, who asked her to design 28 exclusive headpieces for JLo’s ‘”It’s My Party” US tour in 2019.

“It was quite a surreal moment receiving an email from J-Lo’s personal stylist in Los Angeles requesting me to make eight sparkler visors in silver for the coming Jennifer Lopez Tour in the US.

“My immediate response was that someone was playing a little prank on me!

“I soon realized it was in fact a legitimate request, and after weeks of email contact, shipping samples to the US and sourcing silver lurex material from London, the order increased to 28 headpieces, which debuted in LA for the tour opening in June 2019.”

Share flew to Las Vegas to watch Lopez live in the show.

“It was such a buzz watching the show, seeing my headpieces on stage and going backstage to meet J-Lo afterwards; a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said.

“It’s been the most rewarding, fun-filled, stressful yet happy, will-never-have-enough-years-to-design-all-the-hats-in-my-mind career and I bloody well love every second of it!”

 

And having made it, Share is turning her efforts to training young milliners.

She has taught at the International Millinery Forum, Hats off Millinery Convention, Melbourne Fashion Institute and The Gordon Institute of TAFE, and in 2020 founded online millinery course Hat Atelier.

“When I started my millinery career more than 26 years ago, trade secret techniques and processes were carefully guarded in the millinery industry,” Share said.

“I pretty much had the door slammed in my face when I approached a couple of milliners to do work experience with them.

“So I made a promise to myself that if I ever developed my own techniques, I would pass them on to students and grow the industry.”

Share now has students across Australia and in the UK, Nigeria, Spain, France, Ireland and the US.

“I launched Hat Atelier online millinery courses at the beginning of COVID and teach students across Australia and in the UK, Nigeria, Spain, France, Ireland and the US. Some are racegoers who want to make something unique, some are fashion students who want to broaden their skills, and others are professional milliners who want to emulate my Spring Racing Carnival styles.

“I get a kick out of seeing my students use my techniques. They put their personal spin on what I teach them and the results are amazing.”

The courses include live lessons, Millinery Mentoring with Rebecca Share, and classes taught by some of the best milliners in the world in a huge range of techniques to suit every skill level.

Nowadays, Share is focusing on bespoke client orders, which are generally booked six months before the Spring Racing Carnival, as well as releasing ready-to-wear collections and one-off designs available at her website rebeccashare.com.au

This season, Share judged the Fashions on the Field at the Geelong Cup and said she also planned to “kick up my heels with my girlfriends on Derby Day in the Nursery and cheer on my client Khristina Vasko, who has made it to the top three for the national Myer Fashions on the Field competition”.

To learn more about Share’s millinery school, head to hatatelier.com.