Hatter Designs

Hatter Designs

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Posted 2014-08-20 by Jenfollow



With just a bit over 70 days to the Melbourne Cup Carnival , may just be the solution you need for an original look at the event. Adrian is the creative genius behind the designs and the company and sells his creations through his online store on Etsy . You can also follow through their Facebook page . Hailing from Malaysia originally, Adrian lived in Perth, Western Australia from the age of 2 to 20 before he moved to Melbourne. He tells me he loves nothing more than sleeping, eating, travelling and watching movies. I say not, for how could he possible have the time for those leisurely activities with all that he does. Adrian's story does not begin with .

He started out as a photographer, then went into event management, and last but not least, was born. Most amazingly, he is currently still managing and running all three companies, each one successful in their own right. Either by design or perchance they are all relative to each other, which is genius! Let's go back to the beginning and find out a bit more about this creative artistic individual.


In high school Adrian used to do work experience at graphic design offices and went on to study design for 2 years, which is when he met some photographers. He found photography appealed to his creative side and changed his course in life to suit. Dancing was another passion of his and he tells me he learned all his dance moves watching Janet Jackson on Video Hits and to date he is still a fan. He put this talent to good use for 5 years working as a dancer at places like The Leederville Hotel , Metro City Club , the Metropolis and every major club in Perth, Western Australia, entering Planet Dance competitions along the way while developing his photography repertoire. Here;s a snippet of trivia you may not know. Adrian was the photographer behind actor Heath Ledger's first photo shoot and to date he still has the photographs. They were high school friends, Heath a Guildford Grammer boy and Adrian an Aquinas boy.


Though working as a photographer , true to his nature, Adrian wanted to expand and explore the entertainment business. He felt he had done everything he wanted in Perth and was ready for a change in Melbourne. Having a basic marketing background coupled with his experience dancing in various big clubs, he decided to start his own event management company in 2000. He wanted the work and thought to himself this way he could go out and get some work with his own company and in doing so, create jobs for himself. Fourteen years on Excessive Productions Entertainment & Event Management is still going strong. He has been involved in supplying Adidas with models for their product launching shows for the past 4 years for Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. He has taken complete shows and performed all over South East Asia with his singers and dancers since 2004, not to mention supplying entertainers for Crown. Adrian continued with his photography business and now with an event management company on his hands, he had many of his own dancers and models wanting a portfolio which in turn fed his photography business. When the financial crises came along, a lot of entertainers lost work and out of desperation, he picked up his camera full-time again in 2007. Five years later in 2012, he exhibited his photographs 'The Form Series' at a studio in Richmond. This series showcases the crème de la crème of the performing arts and entertainment industry's best examples of human form i.e. singers, dancers and models.


In 2013 Adrian found he was getting the jobs for his event management business but there was no budget for hiring costumes and so forth for his dancers and singers.

Always wanting a mohawk. he decided to experiment and make one for himself with a view to making all he needed himself. You might start to see a pattern here. When Adrian wants something, he just goes out and makes it happen. His attention to detail and precision is renown in the industry. Back to the mohawk, trying to come up with a frame and base proved more difficult than actually designing it.

Once he had it down pat it became easier and 2 days of frustration making one became 2 hours and a new base and frame is created with every new style. Catering to custom orders, some styles have a frame to secure it, some straps and some are secured with clips. He sells a lot of his headpieces to the United States (seems a lot of customers are those who go to the 'Burning Man' events and want outrageous one of a kind headgear), buying online from his Etsy store but his biggest order for 12 mohawks came from Melbourne for the Fashion Aid fashion parade in 2013.

You can buy one from the store or you can call him direct and have one custom made for you. His prices range from $200 to $400. He will however not make what he deems 'showgirl' head pieces as he uses it himself in his business making showgirl stuff for 'roving entertainment' at Crown . He regularly supplies Crown with a fully created and themed look of dancers/entertainers, naturally wearing his creations on their heads. I'm sure by now you will no longer be surprised if you heard he had a hand in the actual costumes as well.


Last year Adrian only had time to make 4 original head pieces for the races which flew off the shelves as soon as he put it there. He's hoping to double that number this year. That's not including custom pieces from direct orders, so keep Adrian in mind for a real 'head-turner' of a headpiece this racing season.

Earning himself a name as the 'Mad hatter', he's taking Melbourne by storm with his one of a kind head gear. He can deliver to anywhere in the world so contact him via email at [email protected] for your very own original piece, be it for a festival, the races, a dance party, styling, fashion parade, photo shoot, gig, red carpet commercials, videos, concerts, or if you need it as a dancer or model or simply for a wild night out.


If you think that's the end of the story, you would be wrong. In November this year 2014, Adrian will be launching his own coffee table photography book, featuring the 'Form Series' (as mentioned above). This young man seems unstoppable in his zeal and thirst to keep on creating and evolving.







#cbd
#dancing
#fashion
#melbourne_cup
#photography
#shopping
%wnmelbourne
137250 - 2023-06-13 13:26:16

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