About Us

At Atelier Royal, our handmade hats for men and women are made using quality natural straw and fur/wool felt blanks. These unique hats are formed on a vintage gas-fired French millinery press and antique wooden hat blocks.

Your hat takes time to make and craft but will fit you perfectly for many seasons.

Each bespoke hat begins as a blank canvas transformed through a cooperative design process, with you making the aesthetic decisions for each part of the construction process. My philosophy is slow fashion and mindful artisan production, crafting each hat individually so that no two look alike, resulting in a quality style statement.

We want you to fall in love with your hat.

Meet Simone

Simone started her career as a teacher and then completed a Master of Fine Arts at Otago. She
is an award-winning costumer/designer who wears her own millinery and garments daily and for Race Day fashion.

Simone has millinery training nationally and internationally. Witty, talented, and born and bred in Otepoti: Dunedin, she is influenced by all things Dunedin and Otago, the fashion capital of the Southern hemisphere.