PRESS RELEASE - About Rachel Skinner Millinery
PRESS RELEASE
New York, 11 March, 2025
Rachel Skinner is the founder of Rachel Skinner Millinery. A milliner for 30 years, Rachel has made hats for HRH Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne, Kate Moss, and Mick Jagger during her career. Rachel Skinner Millinery has been designing award winning hats for weddings, occasions, tours, exhibitions, and theatre, since 1993.
With the help of an Award from The Princes Trust (now The Kings Trust), Rachel opened the original RSM boutique in Primrose Hill, where patrons included Kate Moss, Elle McPherson, Paul Weller, Gwen Stefani, and Rachel Weisz. Rachel Skinner Millinery also retailed at Selfridges, Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Harvey Nichols, The National Gallery, and, in the US; Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, and SAKS Fifth Avenue. Rachel closed her boutique and extensive wholesale accounts in 2006 in order to focus on raising her young family. During the time that followed Rachel continued to create bespoke millinery, launched ‘Lomax & Skinner’ with fellow milliner Sarah Lomax, and co-founded and became a founding director of the British Hat Guild.
Rachel Skinner Millinery Relaunches
In 2024, Rachel Skinner Millinery relaunched. Rachel marked the return with spring and winter ready-to-wear collections, a new boutique in the historic county town of Lewes, East Sussex, a new website with full international e-commerce and a new bespoke salon.
Early Career
Rachel is a graduate of The London College of Fashion, and a classically trained milliner. She served her apprenticeship in London with the Queen’s hatter - Frederick Fox, before moving to assist Stephen Jones, and working on the collections of John Galliano, Lanvin Couture, Balenciaga, Katharine Hamnett and Hanae Mori.
Rachel on working for Freddie Fox:
“The showroom and workroom of Frederick Fox on Bond Street were very extravagant and glamorous. I used to love it when Barbara Cartland was coming in she only ever wore turquoise blue or bubblegum pink and had two Rolls Royce cars to match and would travel to the showroom in the car to match the colour she was wearing. Every Christmas we’d all receive a signed copy of her latest book’. I was taught the highest standard of couture millinery techniques by ladies that had been making hats since the 1940’s.”
Rachel on working for Stephen Jones:
“loved going to work for Stephen for his quirky inventiveness. After learning all the traditional couture techniques at Freddie’s it was refreshing to be taught new contemporary methods and materials. One memorable hat I made for Stephen was a hat made purely out of cotton string. It was during one of the Paris catwalk seasons when we’d frequently work through the night, I’d just finished another hat and thought I was finished for the night at 3am but Stephen asked me to start on another hat it was quite a challenge he wanted the piece to measure 3 foot wide and it used up around 30 balls of string to make!”
RSM Lewes
The Rachel Skinner Millinery boutique and workshop can be found in the historic county town of Lewes, East Sussex. Visitors will find Rachel’s signature vibrant feminine ready-to-wear seasonal and resort collections, as well as the opportunity to reserve appointments for bespoke and couture commissions.
Advocacy for the Preservation of Traditional Millinery Skills
Honoring traditional millinery methods, Rachel’s award winning technique is rooted in attention to detail and artisanal craftsmanship. Hats are hand blocked and sewn, optically dyed in custom colors, and finished with individually cut, colored, shaped and sewn silk petals and adornments. Finishes are custom sourced for each commission, with details including hand manicured and dyed feathering and individually embroidered crystal and pearl beading.
New for 2025 - RSM EcoLuxe
We believe sustainability and quality go hand-in-hand. Rachel Skinner Millinery EcoLuxe identifies the hats, head bands, hair accessories and head pieces in our collections that have been crafted with and /or adorned by vintage fabrics and embellishments. (see EcoLuxe Press Release)
Boutique: Rachel Skinner Millinery, 4a Station Street, Lewes, BN7
Website / e-Commerce: www.rachelskinnermillinery.com
Collection Enquiries: studio@rachelskinnermillinery.com
Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook: @rachelskinnermillinery
Media Contact: Sam Smith, The Really Smiling Agency, New York
