Inspire: Meet MFA Accessory Designer of the Year Lucy Walters from Hiorns Hats
24-01-2025
Q What time does your alarm go off?
L: 6.30am. In the summer I jump straight out of bed but when the mornings are dark I usually snooze it a couple of times.
Q What’s a typical day like for you?
L: The first thing I do each day is walk my four dogs and feed my pet pigs. I love getting out in the fresh air each morning, it wakes me up and makes me feel alive. I then head into the office for my day job as a retail account manager for a large food manufacturing company. My days here are pretty varied but are almost always busy. After work I head home to walk the dogs, ride my horses (if it’s light enough) and then head into the house. I really enjoy cooking so I make a meal from scratch every night before settling down to work on hats in the evening. My days are usually pretty busy and I have a lot of plates to spin with work and hat making but its definitely never boring.
Q Tell us about your education / career route, where did it all start for you?
L: I studied Food and Agricultural Business at University and since then have always worked in food manufacturing, it’s very fast paced and can be incredibly demanding. I really enjoy my work but my roles have never been very creative. Hat making for me started as a hobby and a creative outlet in my free time.
Q What was it like taking part in the Midlands Fashion Awards (MFA) 2018?
L: Taking part was very exciting really but also stressful. I had never done anything like the MFA’s before so I really didn’t know what to expect but seeing my hats on the catwalk on the night was an incredible feeling. I don’t think I will every forget that.
Q And how did it feel to be announced as the winner of your category?
L: I couldn’t believe it. I was incredibly proud of what I had achieved and was delighted that the judges thought I deserved to win. In the run up to the Awards I was worried that my work wouldn’t stand up next to the competition so winning was a huge confidence boost.
Q What’s your career plan going into the New Year?
L: I am making a bit of a career change in January and will be taking a break from my full time job. Hopefully this will allow me the time I need to keep growing the business and the Hiorns Hats brand. I am excited to see what I can achieve when I have more time to focus on the business.
Q What would you say has been your most difficult hurdle so far?
L: Confidence. I struggle to believe in my work and am always very anxious about every bespoke piece before I present it to my customers although I think this is quite normal and I am not sure this will ever go away.
Q Best piece of advice you have been given?
L: A comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing grows there.
Q Is there anyone in the fashion sector that you think is inspirational?
L: Chris and Lucy the founders of Lucy & Yak. I saw a talk by them recently and was blown away by how quickly they have grown their business yet they still seem incredibly humble and down-to-earth. Plus they really seem to care about the important things in life like sustainability and helping others.
Q After work you like to…
L: This is a tricky one for me to answer I am really not a creature of habit and I don’t like routines so sometimes I like to stay at home in my PJ’s not see anyone and sometimes I like to go out and dance all night.
Thank-you Lucy.
Images by Steven Murphy – S M PHOTOGRAPHY and Garazi Photography
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