The first in our new regular feature, we pull back the curtain on our studio to reveal the people behind Awon Golding Millinery. Our first intern to kick off the series,
meet Catrien de Jong...
Where are you from?
I'm from the Netherlands, not Amsterdam but the other side.
How did you get into millinery?
I had to chose my course when I was 15, which is way too young to know what you want to do for the rest of your life. SintLucas, the school I'm going to right now, has the course 'Creative Craftsmanship', which looked good. So I started that. In the first year we got to select 5 different crafts, and I chose Textiles and Millinery.
Why did you come to London?
London is an amazing city. I loved it ever since my cousin told me about her internship in London. So when I decided that I was going to do Millinery, I knew I had to go to London for my internship. In the Netherlands there are not many milliners. London has so many; so more choice!
What do you love about london?
London will never be boring, it's always moving. There are new people everyday with new ideas, new ways of living, new stories. I've only been in London for 5 months now, but I think that even it was 5 years I would still wanted to stay longer.
Favourite hat the SS16 collection?
Ummm that's a hard one... I would say the Crofsbill or the Sandpiper. The Crofsbill is the first had I had to make in my internship, and I love the combination of the feathers and the plastic. But the Sandpiper looks so cute with the little coloured knots on it.
Why are you wearing the hat in the picture?
It's a really good piece. It's easy to wear with anything, and there are so many variants of it.
Favourite hat wearing icon?
Pharrell Williams. He has his own hat style, some thing you don't really see now.
What do you enjoy most about millinery?
That you can do every thing you want. Hats have no limits, look at Stephen Jones. You can really let your creativity loose.