Interview: Elisabeth Koch

Milliner Elisabeth Koch left behind her past in finance to found her own hat company Elisabeth Koch Millinery. Since heralded as the Philip Treacy of China, her hats have sat on famed heads and have been featured across editorials in the likes of Harper's Bazaar. She has also applied to her talents to special commissions, from upscale clients like Swarovski. Bringing her own creations and commissions into being, Elisabeth fashions each hat herself at her atelier in Beijing and has also amassed her own 'Collection Privee', which holds pieces available for hire. She's beginning retail operations in a Shanghai site soon.

How did you decide to go from finance into millinery?
My whole family is creative, so when I took a desk job I was the black sheep! I grew up in a creative atmosphere...So once I quit my job at the bank I decided to follow the creative path I came from and took a course in hat-making.

How has your banking background helped your work in fashion?
It helped in that a realized what I didn't want to do! But it was also really helpful on the business side of things; I had to do a lot of spreadsheets, accounts and even website work in my previous job which has helped me immensely now. I keep track of my own balance sheets, client lists, hat lists, it's also helped in that I learnt a lot of presentation skills that I can use, but now I get to present on something I really like!



How did you decide that China was the right place for your work?
I had never been to China before I arrived to live here; I had just heard that China was the place to be for fashion and simply came over…Work here is rewarding in just being able to see my creations in the big glossies like Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, being worn by Zhang ZiYi, Zhou Xun and Li Bing Bing...This market has taught me a lot, especially about how local clients differ from foreign clients in purchasing behavior: locals preferring ready-to-wear and foreigners in their tailor-made choices.

How do you think being a milliner differs to the rest of the fashion industry in China?It's funny because I'm the only milliner in China. There are hat factories of course, but no one makes bespoke hats completely by hand like I do. I get a lot of attention from magazine editors, stylists and individuals because I'm wearing a motorcycle on my head for example or have a lobster crawling up the side. Hats are different from other accessories, more visible and attention-grabbing. People often take my picture and ask me to be with them in pictures at events.



Who are your major clients and what pieces do they gravitate towards?
Editors, stylists, and individuals -- foreign and local alike -- seem to get a kick out of my hats. The styles that sell are the more wearable pieces: proper hats in felt, sinamay, and fascinators. Often clients will come up with variations to my existing hats and on those variations I sometimes expand. I love creating challenging commissioned pieces by clients. Some have fabulous ideas and leave the execution up to me but you also get cases like with Swarovski who sponsored me to make hats with their Swarovski Elements that turned out beautifully! I also make hats for shows, displays and photo shoots though these are usually not the most wearable or comfortable, like the Eiffel Tower hat!



You take great pride in the natural properties of your materials and the influence of nature on your work. How do you maintain this in the urbanity of Beijing?
Especially because I'm in such as urban area, my surroundings push me more towards nature and natural materials. Growing up in amongst nature, where my family were very conscious of the environment, also left these principles ingrained in me very early on.



Do you have any advice for others trying to step into the industry here?
Really that they should be clear with themselves about what they want, and stick true to themselves. It's also important to be open to receiving help from others, and even if you don't like socializing, you just need to get yourself out there. Get to events, don't be scared, be open!

When are you planning to launch in Shanghai? And how can we order from you for now?
The date keeps changing but the launch will be in 2010, I'll be stocking at Ferguson Lane and will have a show to kick it off! In the meantime clients can look at my website [elisabethkoch.net] and write me to order either an existing or tailor-made hat.