Fiona Cooper takes Melbourne millinery global

How long have you been a milliner, and how did you get into the craft?

I founded Millinery Laa Laa in 2010. With a background in graphic design and print production, I have always worked in structured, detail-driven environments. I was drawn to millinery through fashion photography, where I saw firsthand the impact a hat can have. What began as a short course quickly evolved into a dedicated practice, offering a creative outlet that still aligned with my focus on structure, precision and form. At its core, it remains about problem-solving, just in a different medium.

What do you love about millinery?

Millinery sits at the intersection of art and function. A piece can be visually striking, but it must also perform. It needs to sit correctly, feel balanced and be wearable. That discipline is what I value most. It is not simply about designing something beautiful, but about resolving it completely. The balance between creativity and precision is what continues to drive my work.

Had you entered the Millinery Award before?

Yes. Each time you enter, you refine your thinking, process and execution. You begin to understand not only the standard, but also how far you can push your own work. Winning felt like a natural progression, the culmination of how my work has developed over time rather than the result of a single piece.

Do you mainly work on commissions, or do you also sell your designs?

Both. I create pieces for private clients, particularly during the racing season, alongside ready-to-wear and one-off designs. That balance is important. Commissions are highly personal, while designing without a brief allows for greater creative exploration.

When you first conceived GRAPHICA, did you imagine it would resonate the way it has? What did winning the Lillian Frank AM MBE Millinery Award mean to you?

I approached GRAPHICA without expectation, focusing entirely on resolving the idea as strongly as possible. To see it resonate so widely was incredibly rewarding, particularly as it allowed me to present a technique that is true to my practice while offering something new.

Winning was a defining moment, both surreal and deeply affirming, reinforcing that my approach – structured, considered and technically driven – has a strong place within contemporary millinery.

GRAPHICA draws on quilting traditions, graphic design and military precision. How did those influences come together?

While distinct, these influences share a common language of structure and repetition. Quilting brings craftsmanship and pattern, graphic design contributes clarity and composition, and military precision introduces discipline and control. GRAPHICA became about unifying these elements into a repeatable system that could wrap seamlessly across the form.

How did you make a flat graphic pattern work across a three-dimensional form?

This was one of the key challenges. I developed a custom flat pattern and worked through multiple templates and toiles to refine how it translated across the form. It required careful mapping to maintain consistency across curves, with every angle needing to feel resolved. The design operates as a continuous repeat, so the piece needed to hold from every viewpoint. Placement on the model was critical, particularly at a dramatic angle where the form fully comes together.

How did you land on the colour palette?

Colour was central to the design. Coming from a print background, I am highly considered in how colour behaves and is perceived. The palette of navy, khaki, amethyst, grey and white was selected for balance, contrast and clarity. For Cup Day, I wanted something bold yet refined, allowing the structure to stand out while remaining cohesive.

Can you walk us through the making process?

The process began with understanding how the piece needed to behave – researching references, selecting the appropriate grade of sinamay, determining the construction method and resolving the scale so proportions held when worn. The making was highly precise, cutting and shaping almost like origami, hand stitching each element so the lines aligned, the finish remained clean, and the piece retained a sense of lightness. It was important that each colour remained unobstructed from above and below. The piece does not rely on additional trim. The stripes carry the work.

How did the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective come about, and what was that experience like?

The opportunity to take part in the 2026 Royal Ascot Millinery Collective formed part of the Lillian Frank Award prize. Presenting alongside an international group of highly regarded milliners during London Fashion Week was both exciting and humbling. The event at Claridge’s was unlike anything I have experienced – the intimacy of the presentation and the calibre of the audience made it particularly special. It was also a last-minute decision to attend, which added to its significance. Australian millinery is world-class, and it was important to contribute to that conversation on an international stage.

The 2026 Collective was inspired by Cecil Beaton’s Bright Young Things. How did that theme influence the design of ‘The Melbourne’?

The theme introduced a sense of elegance, playfulness and refinement that aligned naturally with my approach. It encouraged a balance between structure and softness, with ease within a refined form. I selected chocolate from the brief palette as a reference to the first hat I made in Melbourne. ‘The Melbourne’ is a modern interpretation of the classic wide-brim silhouette, crafted in rich chocolate sinamay and shaped with clean, architectural lines. The form draws on a Dior-inspired silhouette I often return to – elegant and timeless.