Street Scene: Millinery in Kirkwood

The revelation of one’s creative calling is an epiphany. Mine came from the photography stacks of the Richmond Public Library.
Tina Kite found her destiny reading about milliner Amy Hamilton of Granville Millinery Company in Ohio. All I had to do was hit the streets with camera in hand, Doisneau and Erwitt in mind. Kite searched in vain for an Atlanta tutor before reaching out to Hamilton, who invited her to visit Ohio for lessons. She returned from this introduction wanting more. When Waltraud Reiner of Australia announced a millinery workshop in the northeastern US, the plucky neophyte persuaded her to add an Atlanta event. Doing so required becoming its hostess. A friend skilled in public relations found them ink in the AJC and students traveled from as far away as Virginia and South Carolina. Talk about paying it forward. From these auspicious beginnings, Kite’s practice flourishes today. Ever generous, she gave an afternoon and valuable counsel to the model and me. These images are the fruit of our collaboration.
Intrigued? Crafty, DIY types should know of a workshop led by North Carolina milliner Jan Wutkowski at the Spruill Center in May. Please follow this link for details.