Hats Off to Fashion Designer Miranda Green

Fashion designer Miranda Green doesn't simply make hats--she sculpts head art. From her studio in Western Australia, Green has put together an astounding collection of millinery that will undeniable turn heads this spring.

According to Green her team, "takes pride in combining innovative design techniques with creative flair; making hats of exceptional beauty and quality." Green highlighted the best of her work at the Spring 2007 Fashion Week.

Green kicked off her show with a group of bronze and black silk dupion hats overlaid with black French lace. No expense is spared when constructing each hat. These gorgeous hats were trimmed with black silk flowers and leaves, guipuire lace, and coque feathers.

As the show continued, each successive design seemed to top the last. For ladies looking to add color to their wardrobe, Green offered many tempting options. Her palette ranged from the palest blush pink to outrageous hot pink. Black was the accent color for most of the collection.

A crowd pleaser was the iridescent aqua, multi-tiered hat trimmed with chartreuse glass beads fashioned to look like berries. It was a millinery masterwork. Another standout in the iridescent hues was a bolero-style hat with Venetian glass trellis beads dripping from the brim.

The fuchsia trio--embellished with leaves, flowers, beads and feathers-made a indelible mark on the audience. The lively colors were a perfect match for Green's whimsical designs.

Like all fashion designers Green's missed the mark a few times. In a few of the groupings, the designer added a handbag or two in coordinating silk. The handbags paled in comparison to the hats and Green needs to rethink expanding her business or hire a dedicated handbag designer.

The orange, yellow and red concoctions seemed a little less user-friendly than the bulk of Green's hats. Adorned with red hearts, berries and flowers, it would be a struggle to come up with an appropriate setting for these frivolous designs.

A wine and celadon green group finished off the show. The colors were warm and fabulous and the hats were expertly trimmed with lace, beads and stunning faux peonies.

Overall the show was a smashing triumph. Greene, the apple-cheeked and red-haired designer, walked the runway to receive her due and bask in the glow of the receptive crowd.

The secret to her success? Work, work and more work. Green appears to take painstaking effort with her creations. Though one can be sure these hats have traveled miles to get to New York, they looked positively lifelike and one could almost smell the wafting fragrance of peonies as the models strutted their stuff. Greene seemed to be embracing her inner garden sprite, as each silk flower looks to be freshly plucked from the solarium. Formed from velvet, silk and each flower is made by hand. Green calls them "Objects d'Art."

Each hat is executed with a goal of being both "timeless and cutting edge." These unique creations range in price from $400 to $1500-justifiable when one considers the handwork put into each hat-and can only be found at specialty boutiques or by contacting Green directly.