| Italy | New York City | London | Paris | Hong Kong

Hello from Paris,

Firstly, to my clients in Australia, please let me say how sad I am to be missing this year's Melbourne Cup Carnival. However, having shown in Milan, Paris and London during my Churchill Fellowship, I am hoping to return to Australia with fresh inspirations to include in next year's collections. With winter approaching in Europe, designers have released their winter collections into the stores, with the hat featuring strongly. Haute couture hats are everywhere and provide the perfect accessories for designers such as John Paul Gaultier. I have been fortunate to meet regularly with his chief milliner and now realise that the Australian perspective is highly valued, and that we as a nation have a very fresh approach to design. While in Paris I have visited with the Paris American Academy and was their special guest at a graduation ceremony along with Bernard Chandran, a very enjoyable evening and I was delighted to network with such a prestigious training institution.

While in Italy I noted that the cap features strongly and many of the high end designers such as Dolce and Gabbana have included them in their collections. In Milan I was honoured to be hosted by the House of Borsalino and also Swarovski Crystal and we hope to work together on a limited edition collaboration in the near future. Another highlight was a visit to Via Della Spiga, The 'Collins St' of Milan and I am delighted to announce that I have been invited to stock with Alan Journo, an amazing store in this beautiful shopping precinct.

The ladies in England love their hats, and if attending a wedding or going to the races you would not be seen without wearing an elegant hat. While in London I have visited with Phillip Tracey and viewed his runway shows and, along with Stephen Jones I found great inspiration in their work and have realised that millinery in England is highly valued. Another highlight was visiting the world wide head quarters of the Winston Churchill Trust in Kensington and I gained much inspiration from the original artworks by Winston Churchill himself that adorn the walls of their elegant offices.

Although only half way through my fellowship, I have gathered a huge amount of inspiration for new collections and I look forward to sharing them with you soon.

Warm regards
Ann-Maree Willett