Karen Morris is an internationally acclaimed hat designer and milliner. She started her line, Karen Morris Millinery, in 2011. Karen studied millinery under famous milliners Judy Bentinck (London), Lina Stein (Ireland), and Jan Wutkowski (North Carolina).
We first met when she came to the shop in 2012, scouring the shelves to find materials to make her next creations. You could tell she was passionate about her craft, but what stood out is how genuine and lovely a person she is. I was very impressed with her before I ever saw her work, and her work is superb. We are so very fortunate to have a world class milliner nearby. Keep your eye on her.
Karen studied millinery all over the world, from London to Brisbane to Minneapolis. She exhibits her work and has won numerous awards in Washington DC, Saint Paul, Baltimore, Chicago, and Minneapolis. She is now passing on her knowledge to other students in the Twin Cities and abroad. Karen has caught the attention of numerous magazines and bloggers all over the world.
Artist Statement
"My work inspirations are from traveling, architectures and art sculptures.
My work philosophy of is Quality, Simplicity and Elegance. I aim to apply both traditional and modern skills to develop a variety of hat shapes and textures, transformed into multi-functional collections that can be worn in an everyday environment, and yet still has a modern twist.
Most of the hats are formed with different shape of wooden hat blocks and handmade of exotic materials sourced from around the world. I love collaborating with local artists or designers to bring new design elements to my collections.
Teaching is also part of my career. I have been teaching hat-making locally and internationally. I hope my effort can bring this long-lost craft – Millinery back to live."
Karen Morris
kmhats.com