Turning heads at stunning new hat shop
It’s just six months since Liz Felix opened her doors in Caversham, where she also makes an extraordinary array of the hats and headpieces which have made her name as a foremost UK milliner – Liz’s hats have been spotted at royal weddings and been worn by at least one head of state. “Customers have followed me from my previous shop in Henley,” Liz told me. “They come from a wide area, and they are loving Caversham. They call it the new Islington – there is a real buzz here!” Liz offers a friendly welcome to returning customers and newcomers alike, and loves to assist anyone who is looking for the ‘right’ hat.
However, becoming a milliner wasn’t something Liz contemplated when growing up in Twyford (she has lived in and around Reading all her life). “My father wanted me to be an accountant, but I definitely did not!” Liz revealed – “so at the age of 16 I ran away, got on a boat, and made it to Jersey. Though eventually I realised I had to come back home.”
Sewing and fashion were passions when at school but this was not encouraged, and while her first part-time weekend job was working in Heelas (now John Lewis) where she was allowed to dress the mannequins, her jobs were mainly accountancy, recruitment or sales. When her daughter was a toddler in the early 90s, she made her a hat based on a pattern she found at a craft fair at Knowle Hill. “People started asking me to make hats for their children, word got around, and I ended up selling hats and clothes at a shop in the Harris Arcade. “I then went to the London College of Fashion, where I learnt millinery – and in fact, I have never stopped learning. I like to attend courses at every opportunity, as I believe there is always something to learn and improve on. Initially, I had a workshop in my garden, and then in 2014 I opened my shop in Henley, and my confidence grew. The shop went very well, and my reputation spread. However along came Covid – I had a premonition this wouldn’t go away quickly.
My lease was coming up in the August of 2020, so I decided to terminate it. With hindsight it was absolutely the right thing to do, but I was devastated. “At first, I worked from home, but then I found a unit at Withy Copse, near Gallowstree Common – such a beautiful place to work. I ended up with both a workroom and a showroom but it didn’t give me enough visibility. Driving through Caversham every day I spotted that the former Humos shop in Church Road had become available, and it was perfect. As well as the shop there are two floors upstairs, one where I can block and sew my hats, the other where I can store everything. I feel very lucky!”
Liz uses traditional techniques; her hats are made from felt, or dyed sinamay straw – “This material is brilliant because it takes dyes and can be painted, it picks up colours beautifully, then it is shaped over a block,” Liz explained. Liz’s hats are bespoke or customised, and all the details are hand sewn – “These details can take a long time,” she added. Weddings are her mainstay, and she also provides hats for Royal Ascot and other race meetings. “Most milliners take time out once Ascot is over, but I take a stand at Phyllis Court as part of Regatta Week in Henley – it’s very good for networking. It’s such fun!”
As well as her own designs, Liz stocks hats by other milliners and hat suppliers. “There should be something for everyone here. And when someone finds the right hat, it really boosts their confidence – they stand taller!” As well as being a leading milliner, during Covid-19 Liz took on a new role, training to become a celebrant. Having undertaken extensive training, she is now regularly invited to officiate at funerals. “I find it incredibly rewarding,” she says. “I now have two jobs that I love to do, and although they are different, there are also similarities – I have to understand people’s needs, and to do my very best for them.”
What does Liz’s father make of her extraordinary creative success? “I also have a brother, Geoff Felix, who is world-famous as a puppet maker and puppeteer – he has worked with great directors such as Jim Henson of The Muppets fame. We both have a passion for what we do, but maybe our success was born out of us wanting to prove dad wrong! Dad is surprised, but he is also very proud…”
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