Sascha is just 13 but has launched her own line of hats and jewellery. Photo: Chris Roe.
With the countdown on to the Melbourne Cup and the Spring Racing Carnival about to begin, a young Wagga milliner is hoping her hats will make a splash at the track.
Sascha Coleman is just 13 years old but has launched her own business, ‘Studio Sash’, to sell her handmade hats, fascinators and jewellery to the Riverina’s fashionistas.
“I started doing millinery last year and I really liked it,” Sascha explains.
“I really like sewing and I guess I just wanted to do something a bit different.”
As part of her homeschooling studies, Sascha has been doing textile classes with Donna Lewis at De Lew Designs.
As her millinery skills improved and her creations began piling up, Sascha thought it might be time to put them out into the world.
“People are really liking my hats,” she says with a smile.
“I like designing them and I like putting different colour schemes together.
“I look at all the latest styles on Pinterest and collect all sorts of ideas.”
Sascha’s first spring collection is on display at the Little Yellow House gallery on Tompson Street where she also gave a demonstration and spoke about her work.
“For these recent spring hats, I’ve mainly used sinamay (woven fabric) and silk flowers and roses and feathers,” she says.
Sascha also scours op-shops for unique recycled bits and pieces to include on her hats or to turn into jewellery.
She indicates the unique pair of lace earrings she is wearing.
“I collect old doilies and use parts of them in my designs,” she says.
While Sascha is barely into her teens, she’s already dreaming of a future in fashion and surprisingly, is studying communications at university.
“I do it online through the University of South Australia,” she explains.
It turns out that the University of South Australia is one of five in Australia that accepts outstanding students as young as 13 with parental permission.
“I would actually like to do fashion journalism,” she says.
But in the meantime, there is plenty of study for both school and uni, textile classes and of course, making hats!
If you’d like to check out Studio Sash and pick up something original for the spring races, you can visit Sascha’s Facebook or call into the Little Yellow House.
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