Fleming College

Karyn Gingras, when signing up for a night school class in tap dancing, was told that the course was full. But, they added, the millinery course had lots of space. The rest, as they say, is history. Karyn is the owner/designer of Lilliput Hats, three decades old traditional millinery. As all the Lilliput hats are crafted on site in the studio/atelier, the store has become a curious landmark in the city, where visitors can glimpse old-world techniques while their hat is made before their eyes. Lilliput hats are carried across the country at Holt Renfrew and other fine boutiques in Canada and the US. The hats are in the collections of Whoopi Goldberg, Celine Dion, and former Governor General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson. Karyn's many theatre, television, and film credits include Mama Mia, Music Man, and The Evelyn Dick Story. Most recently, she created the hats worn by Gord Downie on the Tragically Hip's Man Machine Poem tour. She is the recipient of several awards, including the 1999 City of Toronto Accessories Designer of the Year, the One-of-a-Kind Show Best Traditional Craft, and the One-of-a-Kind Show Hall of Fame. She has taught at the International Academy of Design and Ryerson University of Design. www.lilliputhats.com