PIECES WITH TASTE AND HISTORY.
Designer Profile: Miss Mela
Mela's training in millinery started with an apprenticeship during graduate studies at the University of California at Irvine with Los Angeles milliner Lloyd Lambert and continued as she passed on her skills teaching millinery workshops and classes across the United States. While working as an union costume designer, Mela's love of Victorian clothing led her to research historical millinery techniques, pouring over rare manuscripts and vintage teaching manuals. At every opportunity, Mela used these techniques to create period reproductions for theatre, film, theme parks, cruise lines and re-enactors. This, in turn, led to her study bespoke millinery in London, England with Rose Cory, milliner to the late Queen Mum along with assisting London theatrical milliner, Jane Smith.
In the past, between designing for the entertainment industry and being the head of the costume department at Fullerton College in California, Mela had only made her hats available to the public at Costume College and a few other select venues. The opening of Atelier Mela in Fullerton, CA in 2016, allowed Mela’s creations to be enjoyed by a more diverse clienetle while allowing Mela to design and create a wider range of head wear. Mela expanded her designs to include vintage inspired, bridal confections, raceway hats, floral fantasys, men’s hats along with her historical hats and bonnets.
Atelier Mela’s hats are created in-house, by hand, using traditional techniques. These techniques include hand blocking, hand rolled edges, custom dyed or vintage trimmings, embroidery and hand made flowers, helping to ensure that each hat is a one of a kind.
In February of 2020, the Fullerton store was closed in preparation for moving the company to Salem, Oregon. On October 1, 2021, Atelier Mela reopened inside the Willamette Heritage Center. We are once again open to the public along with taking private commissions.
What We Do
Atelier Mela creates custom head pieces and hats both small and large scale. For those in need of a custom designed hat to add the finishing touch for any time period gown, themed wedding or modern racing ensemble, design appointments can be made to discuss your needs.
Atelier Mela continues to service the entertainment industry creating hand made, custom hats for television, film, theatre and theme parks. Atelier Mela hats can be made to match a particular design/sketch, historical period accurate reproductions, or originals designed by our in house designer. We are fortunate to have a generous stock of vintage trimmings, ribbons, laces, beads and flowers, but are also able to create many additional items in house. Small batch dyeing and color matching for hats and trimmings are done in our off site studio along with custom embroidery.
Vintage and antique hat refreshing and restoration is available after a consulation with the client and an examination of the hat in question.
Each week we post on Instagram (atelier_mela_hats) a new hat or two that has been made for the shop, sometimes modern and sometimes a reflection of an historical time period. We never post custom hats designs until after a client has made their public debut with their hat or headpiece!
Please email ateliermela@gmail.com with questions or to schedule an appointent during or outside of the shop’s open hours.