Hi! I'm Celina,
I love fashion, art, travel, podcasts & healthy cuisine, a good negroni and an even better book.
Educated at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, I triple-majored in Art History, Political Science & French Studies. While studying in Paris in 2011, I saw how my passion for art, culture, history, and design combined into one medium: millinery. I began visualizing hats in everything around me and became possessed by ideas of how unusual shapes and objects could become extraordinary headdresses.
After graduating in 2013, I returned to Europe with the purpose of consuming as much art as possible, furthering my hand at drafting, and determining how I would navigate my love of hats. In Budapest, letting my mind free-associate upon the moving images of Gordon-Matta Clark cutting a Parisian building in half, I felt compelled to “hat make.”
Once home in Minneapolis, I immediately enrolled in Master Milliner Anya Caliendo’s Premier Advanced Couture Millinery course in New York, NY.
Studying under Caliendo was a dream come true, her couture creations speak for themselves but in addition to being a great artist she is committed to the return of prestigious American millinery and is a dedicated teacher. There I refined my technique and gained the skills I needed to pursue a life and business in creating headpieces that express my point of view.
March of 2015 I launched my business, (formerly known as HAT MAKE) with my Debut FW15 Collection entitled The Leopard and the Lark. I define my aesthetic as equal parts minimalist and surrealist, geometric and whimsical. I sculpt each hat and headpiece by hand using the finest quality materials to create wearable art imbued with fantasy, mystery & romance.
Since introducing my line of handmade headwear I have continued my education in couture techniques through workshops with Hand & Lock Couture Embroidery House, millinery workshops with talented MN milliner Karen Morris, and master class with Anya Caliendo.
Lately, I've been increasingly inspired by astrology and myth, healing and magic. The FW16 & 17 Collections,We Are Stardust & We Are Golden, consider the ways we seek meaning and reconciliation, and the ways self-expression can be political. What started as a study of how people live today became an important lesson in how I want to live and create. Rebranding to my eponymous label Celina Kane™is the next step to sharing my vision for beautiful, soulful hats and promoting ethical choices in fashion and more. I hope you enjoy!
–CK
Hats are confidence builders that allow our personalities to shine through, according to Minneapolis-based couture milliner Celina Kane. Her handmade hats are available at www.celinakane.com. Video by Jennifer Simonson, www.jennifersimonson.com.
“Wide brimmed and narrow, some tall, some not, some fancy, some colorful, some plaid, some plain. She doted on changing hats at every opportunity. When she met the Prince, she was wearing one hat, when he asked her for a stroll, she excused herself, shortly to return wearing another, equally flattering.”
– William Goldman, The Princess Bride