Packing the suitcase with her Italian stubbornness and bravery Eleanor moved to London five years ago to pursue and further her acting career. “It’s been quite challenging so far and even though I keep working on it I told myself I had to find some other way to express my creativity”.

She was intrigued by a Millinery course at the London College of Fashion. “I have always been quite handy; I have a theatre background and I grew up in Rome surrounded by ancient history and art”. Her grandmother was a tailor (her specialties were men’s trousers, waistcoats and buttonholes), her grandmother’s brother was a tailor as well as her great grandfather;“I thought, why don’t combine all these elements together and see where they can lead me?”

She decided to give it a go and she surprisingly found out that she likes making hats and she can do it. “It is incredible the range of possibilities you can explore with hats”.

Having completed the millinery workshop with Jessica Broas at the London College of Fashion, she started to play around with different fabrics and materials, making fascinators and freeform parasisal headpieces.

She wanted to expand her knowledge so she did a workshop with Judy Bentinck on Sinamay Trimmings and a French Flower Making course with Elaine Mergard.

Her interest in the millinery craft was growing day by day. She bought some classical shape blocks and started to create her own trimmings and flowers using leather, denim and silk. “It was so gratifying to see what my hands were capable of”. 

She wanted to challenge herself further so she applied to the London Hat Exhibition 2020 whose theme was “To the Future and Back”. Her hat, in a 1920s style, was selected and showcased in the exhibition.

While working on some hat projects during lockdown in 2020, Eleanor decided to attend the HNC in Fashion and Textile-Millinery at Morley College: “I have learnt so much during the course, the best decision I could have ever made.”

“Since I was a child I was fascinated by historical costumes and what people wore in the past including hats, obviously. Through millinery I have  found a way to express my theatrical artistry.”