Lizzie McQuade

Biography

Lizzie McQuade is a London-based, Scottish milliner who creates hats and head-pieces for the discerning, romantic woman. Utilizing a skillset in traditional millinery, embroidery, leather-work, beading and hand dying techniques, McQuade creates modern headwear that is quirky, feminine and desired.

McQuade fluently fuses straw, felt or sinamay with textural embroidery, hand-crafted trimmings and unexpected materials such as PVC and latex. Her trademarks are intriguing embellishments and inspired dip-dyed brims and peaks.

McQuade began her career in fashion at Edinburgh College of Art studying womenswear and then she went on to work for Emma Cook. After leaving this position to focus on her own creative projects, such as working with renowned stylists such as Cathy Edwards and Kate Phelan, McQuade discovered a passion for artesian millinery and devoted herself to learning this craft.

Under the tutelage of Noel Stewart, McQuade refined strong hat making skills and began to form her own label. In 2013, McQuade was chosen from over 2000 to be the winner of the Triumph ‘Women in Making’ award and won invaluable mentorship from the likes of Roksanda Ilincic, Grace Woodward and Gizzi Erskine. In addition to creating her seasonal collections, McQuade frequently works on commissioned pieces for catwalk shows and fashion magazines with clients including Vogue, Vogue Italia, Dazed & Confused, Brides, and Felder Felder.

Lizzie was chosen by Stephen Jones and the British Fashion Council to join the Headonism initiative in S|S15, which saw her collections showcased at London Fashion Week.