Edinburgh milliner turns heads with summer designs

Thwarted by lockdown and confined to her studio in the Capital, she seized the opportunity to create a collection of timeless straw hats – perfect for this year’s staycation and many summers to come.

Edinburgh-based milliner Sally-Ann Provan models a fedora and a visor from her new collection of summer straw hats

With no access to a model or make-up artist, Sally decided to make a rare appearance in front of the camera to launch her new ‘Solis’ collection of handcrafted hats and headpieces.

The shoot was only made possible by calling on the talents of professional fashion photographer Alistair Clark... who just happens to be her husband.

Sally applied her own make-up and styled the shoot with pieces from Jane Davidson boutique, linens from Elizabeth Martin Tweed and jewellery from Carla Edwards, Kaz Robertson and Pauline Edie.

She says: “The lockdown has been particularly hard on small business and I wanted to help highlight some of the amazing talent and shops in Edinburgh.

“I wear my hats all the time and although I’m certainly not a model and get very nervous anywhere near a camera, my clients encouraged me to give it a go.

“Although professional model shots are beautiful, my clients tell me they like to see women they can relate to wearing my hats. It helps them to visualise how it might look on them.” Sally, who trained in couture millinery under the late Queen Mother’s milliner, already lists the Duchess of Cambridge, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins among her clients, as well working with the BBC and Scottish Opera.

The Solis collection is available exclusively at www.sallyannprovan.co.uk, with ten per cent of profits being donated to the British Skin Foundation to support research into skin cancer and other conditions.

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