a day ago
An eastern Ontario hat maker has heads covered at the King's Plate
An eastern Ontario hat maker is on her way to Canada's oldest and most prestigious thoroughbred race as the official milliner.
Ranelle Larocque, owner of Queen Bee Millinery in Perth is returning to the King's Plate at Woodbine for the second time.
'It's like our Christmas. This is the best day of the year. I am so excited about it, I've been working on this since January,' she tells CTV News Ottawa.
The King's Plate takes place on Saturday, and many in attendance will dress up, with particular attention paid to what's on their head.
'It just fills me with joy to see people embracing hat culture, especially at the races. This is the oldest thoroughbred race in North America, which is amazing. And yeah, just to see the fashion and people expressing themselves through what they're wearing, it's really about self-expression and feeling your best,' she said.
It's not the only race Larocque is involved with, and she said she's sent pieces to the Kentucky Derby and the Royal Ascot also.
What is a milliner?
'A milliner is a hat maker,' Larocque said. 'Normally it is a women's hat maker; however, we come in all styles and shapes and sizes and techniques. It's amazing. We have a really massive breadth of talented people here in Canada who are creating fine millinery and hats.'
Months of preparation
Larocque said she has been working with clients on many of the pieces for months.
'I like to get to know you and your personality. That helps inspire what I'm going to create for you. Then we think about your wardrobe and what you're wearing on the day,' she said.
Each piece is one-of-a-kind, and handmade. Larocque says a lot of work can go into each one.
'Depending on the complexity of the design, a fascinator could take a couple of hours, but the more ornate racing hats, they can take anywhere from 40 to 60-plus hours to create by hand.'
After all the hard work comes the moment of anticipation.
'I cannot wait to see the fashion, the horses, just the excitement of everybody getting together,' Larocque said. 'This is the pinnacle of the racing year for Woodbine, and it's so exciting to see everybody engaged with the races and they're wagering, and they're dressed, and they're just having such a good time.'
