Bespoke West Sussex milliner pulls out all the stops for Wear A Hat Day

Isabella Cobby, owner of Isabella Josie in Arundel, designs and handcrafts luxurious hats, headpieces and hair accessories.

She will be supporting the Brain Tumour Research charity’s Wear A Hat Day, which takes place this year on March 31.

As well as welcoming students from Chichester College who will be creating hat-worthy hair styles, she will be hosting a fantasy flower workshop where visitors will be able to make Alice in Wonderland-themed flower resin creations.

"Our Wear A Hat Day events are going to be great fun, so I would encourage everyone to pop along and take part,” said Isabella, who will also be throwing a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at her shop.

Participants are invited to dress up or wear a hat and will be able to share their fun antics at selfie stations positioned throughout The Old Print Works Shopping Arcade.

Isabella’s inspiration for the fundraiser comes from a friend who died of a brain tumour earlier this year, and another who continues to live with a brain tumour following her diagnosis seven years ago.

The mother-of-two said: “I also have a lot of customers come in after having operations, including brain surgery, who have lost their confidence and are often unclear about what hats they can wear and what’s going to suit them.”

A number of Arundel shops and cafes will be helping to raise funds for the charity by selling its official Wear A Hat Day pin badges, whilst Isabella will also be donating ten per cent of anything she sells through her shop on the day.

She said: “It’s going to be a lot of fun. People can come dressed in their own hats or they’re welcome to come and try on any of the ones in my shop.

“All the events are free to attend but to help manage numbers, for the workshops I’m asking people to book ahead via www.isabellajosie.com.”

The theme of this year’s Wear A Hat Day is to look super for science. People are invited to pop a hat on and make a donation at www.braintumourresearch.org/donate/WAHD23. You can even take a selfie to share on social media using #WearAHatDay.

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful for Isabella’s support of our Wear A Hat Day fundraiser. It’s clear she’s put a lot of time and effort into organising it and we hope it’s a resounding success. With one in three people knowing someone affected by a brain tumour, ours is a cause everyone should be aware of.

“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically, just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.”