Attention Seeker

Having caught the bug young, and interned with no less than Philip Treacy, Freya Oatway of FAO Millinery is creating hats and headpieces for people who love her marriage of luxe fabrics and a modern approach, writes Elaine Prendeville

She wears: Vaughan hat, €264 He wears: Otis hat, €264

Freya Oatway was just 16 years of age when she caught the millinery bug. “I had always loved hats,” she says, “and managed to land myself an internship at the best place possible: in Philip Treacy’s London studio.” From Rathgar, the now 33-year-old Oatway is the designer of FAO Millinery, a contemporary label that offers a refreshing take on the traditional hat. “My customers are men and women who look for something sharp, ...