Portrait of Natalia Melcer
< Back to Directory

Natalia Melcer

About the Artist

Natalia Melcer is a milliner and photographer living in Silver Spring, MD. Natalia began her exploration of photography in 2009 with an introductory photo-editing class followed by a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Since then, she has combined her love for travel and nature to visit and photograph some of the most inspiring places in the world. Natalia is passionate about capturing stunning landscapes and intimate portraits of wildlife. She also experiments with macro photography of the natural world and occasionally photographs weddings and live performances. Looking to expand her costuming skills, Natalia took her first millinery class in 2010. Since then, she has taken classes from many instructors all over the east coast and in France in the summer of 2013. She dedicated herself to advancing her millinery business in 2012 and is excited to bring new hats into the lives of friends, family, and clients!

Natalia Melcer website View Website Natalia Melcer website Purchase Art

Artist's Statement

I seek equilibrium in all my creative endeavors. Equilibrium is not a static or unchanging state. At any point in time, multiple opposing and coherent forces are at play, yet equally balanced. I aim to evoke this same sense of balance in my millinery through the thoughtful use of lines and compositional elements. I am a costumer and performer who discovered millinery, the art of making hats, through those passions. I work with many different millinery materials such as felt, straw, silk, and bamboo. I also make my embellishments such as silk flowers and fake feathers from woven straw. My hats are entirely handmade, from shaping the materials on wooden forms to stitching and finishing the hat. I place a strong emphasis on detail and high quality construction. All of my hats are one-of-a-kind wearable sculptures for the head. My designs range from vintage-inspired hats with traditional crowns and brims to abstract shapes achieved through hand manipulation of materials. I am inspired by the art deco era and Hollywood glamour. I am also a photographer, so I apply elements of photographic composition to my hat designs. In particular, I seek asymmetry; strong, elegant lines; and balance in color value and hue.

Featured Work

Photos

Purple fur felt hat with an asymmetrical crown. The hat is finished with a black ribbon and black trim. A sweatband is sewn inside the crown. Hat was made by blocking the felt over a wooden form. One-of-a-kind, handmade hat using traditional millinery techniques.
Jaguar print fur felt hat with black ribbon and bow trim. A sweatband is sewn inside the crown. Hat was made by blocking the felt over a wooden form. One-of-a-kind, handmade hat using traditional millinery techniques.
Leopard print fur felt modius crown with black feather and button trim. A sweatband is sewn inside the crown. Hat was made by blocking the felt over a wooden form. One-of-a-kind, handmade hat using traditional millinery techniques.
Purple leopard print fur felt cloche with black hatband and bow on the side. A sweatband is sewn inside the crown. Hat was made by blocking the felt over a wooden form. One-of-a-kind, handmade hat using traditional millinery techniques.
Maroon jaguar print fur felt perching hat adorned with a black fur felt bow. Hat was made by blocking the felt over a wooden form and the hat is secured with an elastic band that goes under the hair. One-of-a-kind, handmade hat using traditional millinery techniques.
Maroon fur felt beret with a unique folded design. A sweatband is sewn inside the crown and the hat can be secured with an elastic band that goes under the hair. Hat was made by blocking the felt over a wooden form. One-of-a-kind, handmade hat using traditional millinery techniques.