Baubles & Whatnots

My name is Maureen Swiertz and I'm a Chicago-based milliner, accessory and fashion designer. I've studied art and design for as long as I can remember. After receiving my Bachelor's in Fashion Design, I ended up in web design full-time, but always continued doing fashion illustration and design as well as costume design in my free time. In 2011, I decided to start a business where I could again get hands-on in fashion design by making hats and accessories. It feels like home when I'm sculpting and draping fabric on a block, hand-stitching a hat or hand-crafting one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces. I believe we all curate our style by the pieces we choose to buy and wear and because we are all one-of-a-kind, what we choose to wear should be one-of-a-kind as well.

Press:
TOP HATS: A local milliner’s sculptural approach
PureWow
January 25, 2013
http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/chicago/4546/A-local-milliners-sculptural-approach.htm<br />
Awards:
The Mad Hatters Society 2012 Hat Competition
Winner: “Most Dimensional” & “Classic Hat” Awards
http://www.hatlife.com/newsletters/2012/may12_1/art2.htm<br />
The Mad Hatters Society 4th of July Picnic Hatmaking Competition
Winner: First Place
http://www.baublesandwhatnots.com/listing/154829275/award-winning-picnic-themed-fascinator