A RENOWNED milliner from Winkleigh has recently won a prestigous award in recognition of her excellence and skill in her craft in the South West.

Mum-of-two Rachel Dunn recently picked up the best wedding accessories award at the South West Weddings Awards, hosted at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Plymouth.

’I was quite shocked really, I wasn’t expecting it,’ said Rachel, ’There were other contenders nominated who were great such as really well established jewellers. It was so nice to be recognised for the work I’ve done.’

To win the award, Rachel’s current and former clients had to vote for her and additionally write comments stating why they thought she should win. Nominees were formally assessed by judges, not just on the quality of their work but factors such as mission statements and social media accounts.

Before working as a milliner, Rachel worked as a travel agent for 13 years. After having her first son, she quickly returned to work but found she didn’t enjoy the job to the extent she previously had. ’I saw a milliner from Cornwall on the news and thought I could do it too,’ said Rachel, ’That evening, I booked myself onto a course and absolutely loved it. Art and design has always been a key part of my life.’

Previously, Rachel had only ever made designs for herself. She took to Facebook to tell friends and family about her plans and began making hats and fascinators for them.There was a huge amount of positive reaction to her work.

Since 2015, Rachel started her own business All Dunn Up and has worked from her own studio, creating pieces for women in the South West and all over the world. Her client base is particularly strong in America where she is approached to make designs for events such as the Kentucky Derby. People send a picture of their outfit and Rachel sends colour samples and instructions for measurements.

Rachel has trained and worked with Katherine Elizabeth in conjunction with her millinery and business academy in London for over three years and secured a new qualification 12 months ago. She additionally teaches her craft through online courses to people in countries as far as Australia.

Although Rachel has just won the award, she already has her eyes set on the prize for next year too. She said: ’Because I won this year, it means I’m automatically a finalist for next year. I absolutely love this job and dressing people up for events. Millinery has unfortunately been added to the list of endangered crafts so it’s a great honour to keep this traditional skill alive.’

Rachel is pictured above with her award and wearing one of her creations.