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Yay! My article on Harvy Santos, a former Ballet Philippines dancer and now a milliner who was recently declared a runner-up in a millinery contest, was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer in its May 7, 2012 issue.
From dancer to milliner
By Walter Ang
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| Harvy Santos |
Judges included the United Kingdom’s top milliners Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones.
“Hooray! I’m chuffed!” he says. “I was inspired by the modern pentathlon, and this year marks its 100th year.” The modern pentathlon includes five sports: fencing, swimming, horse-riding, running and pistol-shooting.
“My entry comprises the first three sports. Fencing inspired the mask, swimming inspired the wavy drapes, and riding inspired the bridle and harness. It’s very straight to the point.”
Santos created the piece to be worn by any gender, though he had “shock-factor in mind, say, having it as a fashion editorial piece or something for Lady Gaga to wear.”
For materials, Santos used PVC and latex as well as sinamay, “which they loooove here [in the UK]!”
Dance to millinery
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| Santos’ entry to Grazia Magazine’s “Hat Factor” millinery contest 2012 was declared runner-up. |
He left dancing in 2005 to start Harvash Creations, devoting himself to design projects full time doing hair and makeup, costumes, and wedding dresses. Projects ranged from bespoke costume and couture commissions for individual clients to large-scale productions for stage and television. He designed for the HK Ballet, including 20 tutus for “Paquita” and original headpieces for “Swan Lake.”
The name “Harvash” is from a nickname he got from a visiting French choreographer when Santos was still with BP. “Vache is French for cow, so, moooo,” he laughs.
In 2008, Harvy moved to London for love. One day, while shopping for materials to make a Halloween costume, he noticed a copy of “The Hat Magazine.”
Learning
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| Santos’ won third-place in the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers 2011 |
“From then on, I went literally hat-mad and just kept on making hats.” Santos won second place at a competition for the Royal Ascot in 2009. “I had a photo of my hat in ‘The Hat Magazine.’”
He enrolled in a full-year course at Kensington and Chelsea College where he was awarded a Higher National Certificate with Distinction last year. He also won an award from the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers for one of his creations last year.
Santos has apprenticed with Noel Stewart, where he made headdresses and hats for Kylie Minogue’s Aphrodite World Tour, and Stephen Jones, where he was part of the team that worked on hats for the collections of Marc Jacobs and John Galliano.
Opera
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| Santos won second-place in the Royal Ascot 2009 |
He’s done work on a revival of “La Boheme,” restoring hats from previous stagings. “It was really awesome knowing how old these productions are. It didn’t register much to me until I was replacing a hat-lining. Inside the lining I found a folded-up Daily Mail newspaper from Nov. 25, 1955 that they used to decrease the circumference of the hat to fit a performer’s head! That hat might have been made even earlier than 1955. That hat is definitely the oldest thing I’ve ever encountered.”
“I have ex-colleagues from the English National Ballet and sometimes they do guestings in music festivals and other events and the dancers themselves ask for my help.”
The performing arts doesn’t have an exclusive hold on Santos’ hats, fascinators (a large hair decoration or a miniature hat), and headpieces. “I’ve done a few commissions here and there. I have put up my website initially as an online portfolio. People, magazines and bloggers have been inquiring lots and showing lots of interest.”
E-mail harvy@harvash.com or visit harvash.com.
Also published online:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/46801/from-dancer-to-milliner
What do you think of Harvy Santos' work as a milliner? Share your comments.
