Marie Galvin is an
Award winning Irish Milliner based in Boston.
Fourteen
years ago, with limited access to schools offering
millinery courses in the States, Galvin resorted to teaching
herself the Art of Millinery and set out to become a milliner.
She began daily intensive studies with the aid of old edition
Millinery instructional books and by deconstructing vintage hats.
“I felt that if I learned the old techniques of Millinery, the
rest would follow”. With that, Galvin finally found
her true calling!
Five months later in October 1998,
Galvin exhibited her first Collection of Couture Hats during
Fort Point Channels Annual Open Studios. It was a
great success and Galvin sold most of her first
Collection
to some very excited customers.
In the Fall of
1999, Galvin had produced and completed her first fashion show,
“Something Wicked this way comes”. It was a
huge success and the orders were piling in. May 2001
following in the steps of
Martha Stewart, Marie was invited to be a Guest Speaker and
exhibit hats at The Cincinnati Flower Show. That
same month Galvin was invited to co-produce and exhibit at
Boston’s leading cutting edge Gallery, Gallery Soto.
Titled “Reversed, An Artistic View of Fashion”.
In August 2001, she won 1st
runner up in the Hat Designer of the Year competition held
in London. That Fall marked the debut of
Galvin’s first of many Trunk Shows at Henri Bendels in
New York City.
October 30th,
Genart
showcased GALVIN–ized Headwear at
Fresh
Faces in Fashion.
Four accessory and eight clothing designers are picked each year
out of hundreds of entries to exhibit their designs at the
annual event. The September 2001 issue of
Irish America Magazine
featured Galvin as the cover story.
October 2001 her
hats were featured during a Fall Fashion Segment with Diane
Sawyer on the Good Morning America
show. In February 2002, Patti Wilson, New
York’s leading fashion stylist, invited Galvin to have her hats
top off the Fall 2002 Heatherettes Collection during New
York’s world famous Fashion Week. In May 2002, The
British Hat Magazine
invited Galvin along with 5 other international hat designers to
create an alternative version of the panama straw hat.
Galvin’s Avant Guarde design won 1st Place in
the panama Challenge. WCVB's evening
show
Chronicle,
featured GALVIN–ized
Headwear on a "Fashion in Boston" segment.
With a flare for
drama, Galvin brings new twists, turns and techniques to the
world of millinery.
Eleven years later, she continues honing her craft as a Milliner
in her fully operational workshop and showroom in Boston's South
End. Galvin is fast earning a reputation for her
collection of eclectically styled hats and headpieces.
Over the past 10 years, she has enjoyed great exposure from both
the international and domestic press.
GALVIN–sized Hats have
been seen on celebrities such as Cher,
Alicia Keys, Vivica A Fox, Claire Daines, Taye Diggs to name a
few.
"My mission is to create unique
handcrafted headwear, providing multiple expressions for the
women who wear them", says Galvin. The Collections are
original and hand constructed, employing the use of wool, felts,
opulent fabrics and exotic feather trims.
“It’s about making a statement with
one dramatic piece," said Galvin, "Top off a unique outfit with
an eye catching headpiece and voilà!"
