Richard Nylon

Richard Nylon
Milliner

You may recognise Richard Nylon from the society pages at the back of The Age newspaper – his handlebar moustache, extravagant attire and headwear make Melbourne’s most popular milliner hard to miss.

But behind the boyish grin and daring costumes that dazzle even international fashion royalty such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Richard admits there is a part of him that is ‘work-a-day and shy’.

Revealing he came from a humble farming background, it was a creative impulse that led him to millinery. But such an impulse could have manifested in anything to do with creating reality – acting, costume design, he even wanted to be a chef for a moment or two.

His chosen profession of millinery is not for the faint-hearted. Dividing his time between long hours spent at his studio, teaching at RMIT and working two days a week at Myer, Richard pulls the curtain between the glamourous world of fashion and the everyday toil of a creative working with a bespoke artform.

From his daily commute by bicycle to his studio in Fitzroy, to meeting clients for fittings, Richard candidly shares how he has learned to appreciate his distracted mind, and teaches us the difference between being alone and being lonely.

The self-confessed ‘socially-functioning introvert’ proves that we can be simultaneously elaborate and yet crave simplicity, dazzling and yet shy – our way of being as intricate as a handmade headpiece. 

Saturdays are spent at the studio and usually when I see most of my brides. In the evening I might have dinner somewhere or go and visit my sister and mother in Bacchus Marsh and stay overnight and catch the train back in the morning.  

Sundays I work at Myer – I have one Sunday off a month like a housemaid.

Generally, on that Sunday off I will arrange to do something with my family and we will go to a gallery, have lunch somewhere or see a film.

But as far as social life goes, I generally text people and talk to them that way. Funnily enough, a lot of friends come and see me at the studio. I say if the blind is up or the door is open, I am here, so people just drop in.

I don't know if that makes me selfish or stay-at-home, but I guess I am happy in my own little environment – I actually get anxious when I am away from the studio.

BEHIND THE SCENES

On being a self-taught milliner …

In most millinery studios you have a head of work room who will dish out simple tasks to new milliners, and then you climb the ladder until you are doing some designing and blocking.

I never did that – I sort of did it all myself and there are probably holes in my education as a milliner.

I became well known before I really had the chance to complete an education and sort of sprang a bit premature, which was kind of embarrassing in a way, because I thought, Oh god, I’m not a milliner, I’m just sort of mucking around with materials and trying to make something of it. But now days, who cares? There are people calling themselves milliners who safety-pin a flower to a headband, so whatever. It’s just semantics really. 

On the flipside of having lots of ideas …

Basically I’m an ideas person who has applied themselves to making hats. That's sort of one of my gifts in a way, and my problem in another in that because ideas do come easily, it sort of leads to distractions. 

Ideas not acted upon are cheap ­– and if they are not acted upon you might as well not have had them.

I believe psychologists call it the flight of thoughts, where they come very, very quickly and kind of interrupt the flow of the day.

But I guess I just have to accept that it is the way my brain works and it has worked like that for quite awhile.

On the expectation to be extravagant …

Perhaps it’s because I’m a frustrated actor – most actors are crackers and introverts and they get out on the stage and become this character or a part.

I’m not playing a part when I’m being me – I’m me obviously – but sometimes people almost expect me to be extravagant.

If I go to an event and I’m dressed down, people ask what’s the matter?, but I just say I didn't feel like it. I don't question other people about their clothes, but for some reason people associate me with dressing up and that is fine – it's nice to be associated with something. 

On personal style …

I have a lot of clothes. A lot. And just keep adding to them. But I see it as part of my job in a way to have nice things to wear. I don’t spend a lot of money on clothes – I always buy on sale, I buy great things from op-shops and sometimes people will give me a piece as well.

I enjoy putting looks together and experimenting on myself as sort of a little canvas I guess, and being a bit of a walking installation.

I enjoy challenging myself when I wear the full beaded masks or really, really, really high shoes or a corset I can't sit down in. I just sort of enjoy that because it is impractical and silly. But I am also very much into the history of clothing and why we dress a particular way.

I guess I’m a bit of a magpie because I love minimalism and I also love maximalism. I kind of dress myself in the mood I am feeling for that particular time

On not having a structured routine …

Thinking about it now, I probably need more of a structured routine. I know there are people who really thrive off having this done at that hour, and they just get annoyed if this or that isn't happening, or something doesn't go to plan it tends to upset them. Whereas if something doesn’t happen, I just shrug my shoulders and get on with it. 

On being alone, but not lonely …

I really like solitude and being by myself. I never get lonely – it is not one of my things. I get crazy, but that is another thing. [Laughs] But I can go days and days without seeing people. 

I don't dislike people at all, I like people, but I’m quite happy being by myself and sometimes the best things happen when I am alone – I come up with good ideas that I can work on, that kind of stuff.

On getting ready for social events …

If it is something really, really special like the opening night of the Gaultier exhibition, then we will put aside say three-quarters of a day if we are doing full hair and makeup. But on average it will take an hour.

An alarm will go off an hour and a half before we have to leave for an event so that gives us time to wrap up what we are doing and get ready. 

I’ve got this old Victoria Bitters bag that I cart around with me on the bike, so I put whatever outfit I’m going to wear from home in that and bring it with me to the studio in the morning. And hey presto change-o!

On appreciating the simple things …

I don't cook. I did want to be a chef at one stage, and I can cook if I want to, but because there is just me there, I'll just have something simple. Perhaps because there are enough elaborate things going on in my life – and enough imaginative things going on in my head.

Sometimes I crave very simple things and just want to have something simple to eat.