Mardi Gras Millinery 2020
Maria Etkind
As I sit here in my millinery studio in New Orleans in a state mandated stay in place order, all I can think about is my cancelled Spring events! It is hard to stay positive when you know that Spring is your busiest hat making time of the year, and I can’t make hats for luncheons, races, garden parties, museum fundraisers, and so much more. As we all collectively wait for our lives to go back to a new normal and for states to open up, I can only pray that we will have events this Summer/Fall. This article is not about quarantine or cancelations. This article is about Mardi Gras Day 2020.
In New Orleans, Mardi Gras Day is the biggest day of the year. For locals, Mardi Gras is more than Bourbon St. and catching beads. Mardi Gras is about making art, costumes and magic. Mardi Gras 2020 was a huge game changer for me professionally. I was hired to create hats for the Queen of Mardi Gras, her mother and her court. I also had the good fortune to be able to collaborate with two local dress designers Suzanne Perron and Kathleen Van Horn. We worked together for half a year making sure the hats matched the suits perfectly. I was presented with a new challenge of having to hire assistant and worked many long hours blocking and trimming hats in order to meet the deadline. It was important for my hat designs to be a reflection of my aesthetic, but most importantly I wanted to capture my clients personality and style.
I started working on the Mardi Gras hat orders in September 2019 and finished all the orders a week before Mardi Gras day. It was so rewarding every time I closed a hatbox with a finished custom hat. On Mardi Gras day seeing all the ladies dressed up in their suits and hats was such an emotional and proud moment for me.
I’m so thankful for this wonderful experience, for the support of my family and friends.
Watch the toast below.
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