The Hat Box - Brisbane Arcade

CHATTERBOX
Cherished clients, After a quiet start to the year due to the fallout from the equine influenza virus, business is booming again with hat lovers flocking to functions here in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
HATS & HIGH TEA AT KERI CRAIG On Wednesday 27 February, The Hat Box held our first ever Hats and High Tea for friends and clients starved of a glamorous occasion to wear their chapeaux. It was an opportunity to showcase the flair of my talented stable of local and national milliners, ten of whom attended the affair in Keri Craig’s chic designer emporium here in the Brisbane Arcade.	Peggy Stone, an internationally renowned Sydney milliner and Australian correspondent for The Hat Magazine UK was the guest speaker. Peggy attends Royal Ascot every year photographing the most stylish hats there and this was the theme of her talk. Royal Ascot was also the dress code which the glamorous guests obeyed to the letter as you can see from the photos below.	With my special guest Peggy Stone
Fleur Thompson & Reginia Goode model headpieces by Patricia Ann		Georgie Kerr, Julie Phillips & Tammy Butterfield
Kathy Neumann, Janet O’Shea and Alexandra Harper		Fay Venus, Glenda Winders & Mini Curtis
Felicity Grant & Ann Boyle		Fleur thanks Peggy for an interesting morning
Peggy was also gracious enough to hold two millinery workshops while she was in Brisbane for local milliners wanting to pick up a few finer points from a lady who has worked alongside the Queen’s milliner, the distinguished Frederick Fox.
Peggy provide pointers for Thursday’s group		Saturday students, Kathy Neumann and Petrea Gordon

MAGIC MILLIONS FUNCTIONS With the Magic Millions rescheduled to Easter Monday, the week leading up to Easter was choc-filled with events. Here are a few I attended. WOMEN IN RACING LUNCH Held at the glittering Palazzo Versace by the directors of Women in Racing Inc, Jennifer Bartels and Baslyn Beel, this St. Patrick’s Day soiree featured all things green, from the Midori cocktails on arrival to the ensembles worn by many of the guests, including myself. The Hat Box client, the lovely Stephanie Nasternak, was chosen as the first finalist in the Paspaley Best Dressed of the carnival. She wore a canary yellow Nicola Finetti dress which she teamed with a Nerida Winter hat. Stephanie went on to win the major, Paspaley pearl and diamond jewellery and a trip for two to Tokyo. Sandra Robson in her own spectacular creation Di Holt & Natalie Letford on St Paddy’s Day		Congratulating Paspaley Fashion Winner, Stephanie Nasternak Julie Billeau, Nino Goncalves, best dressed male finalist, & Effie Cliff Janine Gilmore and Pia Du Pradal at the Palazzo Versace Kerrina King & Patricia Balmer Cathi Meredith of Reflections Media
THE MILLINERY COLLECTION LUNCH An inaugural event for Queensland, the Melbourne based organisers decided to take a punt on the Gold Coast and hold their millinery lunch during Magic Millions week at the Sheraton Mirage. Milliners from Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland were invited to participate in a fashion parade and then display their creations for sale after lunch. Four of The Hat Box milliners took part: Patricia Balmer, Alexandra Harper, Meredith McMaster and Kathy Neumann, and their headpieces certainly did us proud. I enjoyed meeting Sydney milliners Lin Teo and Catherine Kelly and also catching up with the wonderfully flamboyant Peter Jago who chose my table of ladies as the winners of “Table with the Best Hats”. It was one of the highlights of a very stylish lunch. Glamour girls Judy Brine & Roma Blair Winners are grinners – “Best Hat” table		Chatting to the fabulous Peter Jago Jennifer Bartels & Ros Tilse in their finery
The Hat Box milliners ready to sell their creations

MAGIC MILLIONS HATS & HIGH TEA The next morning saw me relaxing at the Gold Coast Marriott Hotel enjoying the Magic Millions High Tea. This function always produces the most glamorous hats of the carnival and it was wonderful to see so many elegant women. Shirley Croft was the Paspaley finalist on the day, beautifully co-ordinated in black and white. My good friend Lauren Walker gave me the exciting news that she has just bought a boutique in Racecourse Road, Brisbane specialising in European imports. We will be holding fashion parades together soon. With Sandra Robson & milliner Karen Valentine at the Marriott Effie Cliff & Julie Billeau enjoy their high tea		Milliner Jessie Peace Pamela Larsen of Sovereign Jewellery

LOVELY LEGS RACEDAY, GOLD COAST TURF CLUB Easter Saturday saw the Lovely Legs raceday at the Gold Coast Turf Club hosted in The Dome by the charming Margo Mott. As I was one of the sponsors, I had the unenviable task of choosing the Fashions on the Field winners. Whilst everyone wore their fashionable best, my fellow judges and I chose the exquisite Melissa Usher of The Juice.Com who was a vision in red. Young marrieds, Alanna and Tony Loveless took out respectively, Best Hat and Best Dressed Male. Overall, a very pleasant day, catching up with old friends whilst enjoying champagne, a delicious lunch and great entertainment. Well done, Margo.	Lunching with Roma Blair & Lorraine Dickinson
Best Dressed in The Dome, Melissa Usher Gold Coast icon, photographer & scribe Regina King		Ladies in black & white, Di Holt, Natalie Letford & Josephine Juliano Best Hat winner Alanna Loveless

Ciao for now. Dale
Chatterbox Archives

Cherished clients,

HATS & HIGH TEA AT KERI CRAIG

MAGIC MILLIONS FUNCTIONS

WOMEN IN RACING LUNCH

THE MILLINERY COLLECTION LUNCH

MAGIC MILLIONS HATS & HIGH TEA

LOVELY LEGS RACEDAY, GOLD COAST TURF CLUB

Dale