Melissa Jackson describes her style as contemporary, sculpted, organic, colourful and architectural. Her designs are worn by local & international celebrities and fashionistas as well as race horse owners and enthusiasts. In an exclusive interview with Secretariat’s World she describes raceday fashions and her world of fashion headwear.
Q – Melissa Jackson, the brand is renowned for innovative and contemporary millinery creations. What inspires Melissa Jackson, the creator and the designer?
A – Abstract art, sculptural form and colour are all inspirational to me; most of my creations are in abstract shapes and sometimes I like to create whimsical designs. I’m regularly inspired by world travel too. One of my favourite cities in the world is Barcelona and I’ve been inspired by the artist Miro in the past. I always try to visit the Miro museum when I’m there. Abstract art is inspirational.
Q – What is your most favourite city in the world?
A – I studied & lived in London for three years. I loved the cross-pollination with other European cities which are so close. But I always loved coming back to Melbourne. So I have to say my most favourite city is Melbourne.
Q – How would you describe Spring Racing Carnival raceday fashions?
A – In Melbourne each four days at Flemington day has its own dress code tradition. Derby day is traditionally ‘classic’ in black & white colours, so we get a lot of headband, head pieces and hats in those colours. Melbourne Cup day is about wild, colourful & flamboyant creations. Whereas Oak’s Day is ‘Ladies Day’ where we see a lot more feminine colours includingflorals & pastels. The final day is a tad more relaxed, so fashion and head wear is a real a combination of the first three days. During the Carnival, ladies go all out to wear stylish headwear to suit each of the three days it’s like watching a live fashion parade for four days where’s there so much colour, and flamboyance and personal style to admire.
Q – Does weather have an impact on the choice of hats?
A – Yes it does. Derby day is predicted to be sunny, so large brimmed hats will suit better whereas Cup day is expected to be cold and slight wet. Many women may prefer to leave their larger pieces at home and prefer to wear a smaller piece. Yet again some committed fashionistas will ignore the unpleasant weather and wear exactly what they had planned for the day.
Q - What do you love most about the Melbourne Cup?
A – I’m a big horse lover. I have been an equestrian rider in the past and have participated in show jumping & eventing so I appreciate athletic & fit horses. I also appreciate the skills they have acquired in order to compete at the highest level in the world. From a fashion and social perspective, it’s always a high to see celebrities wearing my creations. For example, it was a nice highlight to see Liza Minelli wearing one of my creations when she attended the races a few years ago and British Monarch Zara Phillips .
Q – Could you tell us about your background?
A – Since returning from London in 1998, a graduate from the highly esteemed Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Jackson has formed an impressive following with regular race goers, celebrities and fashionistas.
Q – Do you create only for those who are in-town and available for a sitting?
A – Digital Media is a great thing. We have a Melissa Jackson website with an online catalogue which our overseas or nationalcustomers use to choose styles and designs. Sometimes they order hats exactly as they see on the website or when I do a custom design, clients send me pictures of themselves, their outfit and accessories and I will work from there. This helps me understand their features, profile, hair colour etc. It’s quite amazing that the whole consultation, design & construction process can be discussed & conveyed visually (via smart phone technology) as the hat is being developed to allow the client to make choices as the hat is literally taking shape.
Q – How long does the process take?
A – Although, I have done some overnight work in the past, usually the process takes about 10 days to two weeks from start-to-finish and then we allow seven to ten days for the product to reach the customer. For example for Royal Ascot (which is usually in late June) my clients in the UK start contacting me from April onwards and we work towards something they will love wearing on the Ascot raceday.
Q – And a final question for our readers before we sign off – do you have a favourite for the Cup this year?
A – Yes. The 2016 Caulfield Cup winner Jameka has a great chance of winning the Melbourne Cup. Also Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has a handful of exciting runners including Hartnell which should run well.