About
(Picture courtesy of John Clifton, www.johncliftonphotography.com)
Allow me to introduce myself. I am Bink - a mad hatter, hat maker, and international milliner, a lover of surreal art, colour, culture, and all things glittery. I work barefoot in dungarees in my West Yorkshire millinery studio, in the UK, where I passionately create bespoke hats, statement fascinators, customised headpieces, and quirky accessories.
My journey into the world of millinery began when I moved from London to West Yorkshire in 2008 and launched Pearls & Swine on a shoestring. Before becoming a professional hat maker, I worked as a live-in carer to the elderly, disabled, and terminally ill, and had been experimenting with hat-making on the side.
It took me a while to embrace my creative side, but at 30, I decided to take a leap of faith and immerse myself in the world of millinery. That leap was the beginning of Pearls & Swine - a love affair with creating unusual hats and customised headpieces for clients in the UK and internationally. These tell my story, although I couldn't tell you why hats speak to me so strongly.
As a self-taught Yorkshire milliner, I live and breathe inspiration, leaving little time for anything else. My custom headdresses and maximalist fascinators are influenced by surreal art, culture, vintage millinery, and everything in between. I allow intuition to guide me, resulting in unique statement headwear that defies expectation.
For me, millinery is akin to reading a good book - a pleasure that lies in not knowing how the story will end. The materials take on a life of their own, and I try not to overthink the process, allowing each bespoke hat to evolve naturally.
My work has been regularly featured in the press for Royal Ascot and graced the pages of magazines including Vogue Italia and You and Your Wedding. My millinery hats have been worn by brides, burlesque performers, race-goers, celebrities, and drag queens, celebrities, and fashion lovers around the world, as well as appearing on TV and in movies. I am very lucky, word of mouth and social media have helped grow Pearls & Swine’s reputation as a distinctive British millinery brand... and mad hatter!
My studio is situated in our hillside house in West Yorkshire, which I share with my supportive partner, Trafford Parsons - a fine artist, screen printer, muralist, and DJ - and our 4 cats.
That's the story of Pearls & Swine in a nutshell. I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy creating it.
Bink xxx
PS. If you wish to keep in touch or to keep an eye on my latest maximalist headpieces & accessories, you can find me on social media:
