Behind The Scenes at V V Chapeaux

Inside the Atelier

The spark of V V Chapeaux began in the early 1950s, when Annabel’s mother worked for the legendary Madge Chard - known across London as The Mad Hatter. One afternoon, 20 years ago, the man who took over Madge Chard's shop called Annabel and said 'would you like to see some flowers'. His name was Ernest Gelbard and Annabel and he hit it off straight away. Eventually he would gift Annabel his archives. 

Today, on display in the atelier are the old Madge Chard order books with their distinctive hat and head drawings. Along side that is Annabel's burgining collection of vintage treasures: old straws, faded silk flowers, beautiful vintage trims, crochet lace, passementerie pieces, hand folded petals, forgotten feathers… and a thousand ideas waiting to bloom on a V V Chapeaux creation.

From these inspiring pieces Annabel creates unique hats and headdresses. Whether it’s a tiny percher with a pop of painted poppy, or a wide-brimmed wonder crowned with a bouquet of blooms, there’s always a story stitched into the brim.

Our flowers are no ordinary trimmings, they’re repainted, restyled, and reimagined into spectacular sprays and blooms. A few dabs of paint here, a twist of ribbon there - suddenly, that vintage silk carnation is ready for its next wedding or trip to Royal Ascot.

This summer, our hand-painted vintage flowers are the star of the show - not just as exquisite embellishments in our latest millinery collection, but as living links to the legacy that inspired V V Chapeaux. Each petal is brought to life in our atelier with delicate brushstrokes, a painter’s eye, and a splash of V V imagination. Blooms that are truly one-of-a-kind.