Local milliner Sue Anderson – owner of The Dress Studio and Hat Hire on Jesmond Road – has donated glamorous gowns to Makylea Munroe and Shauna Henry, stars of Geordie Finishing School for Girls. The BBC3 show was recently nominated for the region’s Royal Television Society Award, which took place at the Sage Gateshead last week.

Sue Milliner at The Dress Studio and Hat Hire

After working for several years in retail, Anderson began running her own millinery business and dress studio nine years ago. She is the main milliner there and works in a small team to create unique hand-crafted hats, each tailored to suit the client’s preferences. A single hat requires about three to ten hours of labour and prices are contingent on the intricacy of the design. At her shop, customers can also find dresses, shoes, jewellery, and purses to match their hat.

The business attracts local customers who come on a regular basis to purchase garments for a wide range of events, such as weddings, balls, prom nights, and functions. According to Anderson, people from across the country place online orders for fancy hats so that they can stand out among the crowd at events such as the Ascot races. And as the practice of millinery is relatively rare no, Anderson receives requests from people all around the world.

Currently, Anderson has many orders from the Caribbean, she told JesmondLocal, but says she is happy to serve the local community and help people find the perfect outfit for their special occasion.

See photos of The Dress Studio and Hat Hire in our Flickr gallery, and follow this link for more information about the business.