SHINING BRIGHT - A CREATIVE HEADWEAR JOURNEY
23 May 2024
Lisa Nash has always been a DIY enthusiast, eager to try her hand at any project. Her creative headwear journey began at 17 when she was preparing for her first Geelong Cup. With no prior experience, she creatively stapled and glued feathers and mesh together to make her own headpiece (side note - a lot of us started this way, but read on for skilling up). This initial attempt sparked a yearly tradition, and soon, her friends were requesting custom-made pieces.
In 2014, Lisa launched her Instagram page, @lisanash.design, as a side hustle. Over the years, her passion for creating unique designs only intensified. This growing creative drive led her to expand her collection and ultimately transform her vision into a thriving brand.
When Lisa begins a new design, it’s usually something she has envisioned while trying to fall asleep (I'm sure we can all relate!). Armed with a notepad on the bedside table to sketch or describe any ideas for a new headpiece. Usually a spark of inspiration from the most random things. Different, non-traditional millinery materials that once manipulated may look good on your head (lol). Lisa loves to experiment with designs until her vision comes to life.
Keeping up with trends is something Lisa is very accustomed to, having worked for a large fashion retailer for the past 19 years which has enabled Lisa to experience many areas of the fast fashion.
Travel is a huge advantage for any designer to explore materials, immerse in the culture and look for colour, texture and something a little different to stand out from the crowd in her creations.
And of course if there is a particular technique Lisa needs to learn, Hat Atelier online millinery courses are an easy way to do add to her skillset and then add her own flair.
We all have challenging projects we've worked on, and Lisa is no exception. The most challenging headpiece she tackled was creating a handmade crown for her Flemington Race Day debut (I know, right? I'd never been to Flemington!).
Lisa adorned a beautiful Alémais dress and began custom designing a show-stopping headpiece, attempting to incorporate all the techniques she had learned, but with her signature 'shine bright' style. Lisa used the swirl technique from the Hat Atelier Floating Headpieces course and incorporated her exclusively designed Metallic Flowers and signature metal crest.
Extending her skills, Lisa also made a matching lapel pin for her husband, which required precision and a lot of patience!
To overcome the difficulties, Lisa broke down the design into smaller steps, watched online tutorials, and took her time with each detail to create all the different components. 'I definitely had a couple of fails along the way, but it was a labor of love. The result was truly rewarding!' Lisa laughs."
Lisa is somewhat of a superstar on social media. 'I’m absolutely fulfilling my childhood dream of being an actress, haha! Making cringey, relatable reels is my forte! I have no strategy except that when I get an idea for a video, I go for it!'
Lisa adds, 'I used to be very nervous about talking on Instagram, but I think if you show your authentic self, it can help you connect with others and build genuine relationships and followers. It's all about being true to who you are and not taking yourself too seriously.'
'Instagram is also a platform for me to showcase my editorial photography work. When I get that strong creative urge, I go full-on with crazy DIY hair, makeup, props, and throw on five headbands to get the shot! I love dabbling in photography, whether it's a beautiful maternity shoot or a dramatic DIY selfie.'"
Some words of wisdom from Lisa "If you are creative and love making things, you should definitely direct your creativity and craftsmanship toward millinery. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different materials, techniques, and designs to develop your unique style. Experimentation, passion, and dedication are key to success. Seeing someone in your headpiece and receiving the most heartwarming reviews about how it made them feel (like a queen) is incredibly rewarding.
And some fun facts about this bubbly, super creative girl from Geelong AUSTRALIA:
- I used to own a pet snake.
- I have twins.
- I married my high school sweetheart.
- I have recently resigned from my full-time job to focus on my millinery career and raising my three children. I have twin girls and a boy. Motherhood is an absolute blessing, and millinery is my 'me time'. We are currently building a studio on our property so I can expand (and organize) the business."