Elise Gustilo

MEET THE MAKER

My name is Elise Gustilo and I’m a millinery designer of couture hats and headwear. Starting from the loft laundry room of my parents’ house, I now produce my creations at my central London studio, Cockpit Bloomsbury, predominately catering for weddings, Ascot and special occasions. This winter, I’m also planning to launch my first ready-to-wear men’s hat collection. During the course of my business, I’ve encountered a series of conundrums such as attempting to pack a hat in hand luggage for a wedding abroad, fretting about what happens when my hat block makers retire (there are only 3 professional makers in the UK) and how to push the boundaries of millinery design through overcoming the limitations of traditional processes. I believed the answer to my obstacles could be found in the realm of digital fabrication – but I neither had the expertise nor knew anyone within this field. I was excited by the application to iAtelier as it was the perfect opportunity to collaborate with others from digital design, to exchange CAD and specialist craft knowledge, potentially solve my millinery puzzles, as well as help other makers to overcome their own creative challenges.

WHAT IS YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE PROGRAMME? 

iAtelier has been a fantastic opportunity to learn from individuals at different stages of their careers – from experienced professionals, growing businesses to emerging young graduates. One of the key lessons I have taken away from the masterclasses is to make time for ‘creative playing’ and embrace the mistakes – something that can be easily forgotten in business. This resonated strongly with me, as often I get caught up in the details. It reminded me that staying curious and being comfortable with making errors is often what leads to exciting ideas and new directions. When working with other designers and makers, I have learnt it is essential to identify everyone’s goals/motivations to ensure they converge, that everyone benefits from the project and the team are a good fit. I have also learnt that realising each other’s strengths and weaknesses helps design a project that maximises everyone’s areas of expertise and ensure we work together to mitigate any vulnerabilities. In terms of prototyping, I have developed my understanding of preparing files for laser cutting and how techniques used for wooden jewellery and furniture making can improve the strength, appearance and shape of materials such as plywood, through using composites, veneers and varnishes.

Five top tips you can offer others from your experience

1. Identify each of your strengths and work to them
2. Understand each of your weaknesses and find ways to support one another – complimentary skills can help achieve a common goal
3. Discuss past projects you’ve worked on – what worked, what didn’t work, techniques you used and learn from one another
4. Be open to different approaches – there’s often more than one way to solve a problem and ‘mishaps’ might lead to exciting discoveries along the way
5. Respect everyone’s time. Be prepared for meetings arranged in advance.