Perched high in its Dallas atelier, capping Bolsa Restaurant in a spiffed-up ‘50s-era garage, the House of MacGregor boasts a stylish and symbolic home base. Therein, celebrated milliner Cassandra MacGregor has crafted custom hats since 2008, earning praise from premium pubs, and fans among our city’s top trendsetters.

 

 

Last week, with autumn in the air and a little wanderlust on her mind, MacGregor (pictured below) traded her Oak Cliff bird’s eye view for the postcard panoramas of Paris. Read on for a peek, through personal pics, of her fashionable trip, plus hints as to the chapeaux she’ll design in her new Parisian state of mind.

 

 

Raised in Texas, trained at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and featured in the likes of W, Vogue Italia, and Southern Living, Cassandra MacGregor’s designs have always drawn upon influences and materials from home and abroad.

Among the House of MacGregor’s hallmark hats are fabulous fedoras, custom Kentucky Derby confections, and coffee sack newsboy caps. This week-long jaunt to Paris adds to a wealth of both imagination and supplies.

 

 

Starting off, MacGregor details, “This trip will definitely influence my coming designs.” How so? In broad strokes, emphasizing new “color options,” think bright orange, baby blue, chartreuse, and navy.

 

 

Down to the details, Arnupia at 70 av. de la Grande Armée, tempted the designer with unmatched raw materials and embellishments. She explains, “When you walk into this showroom, you actually meet the people who are crafting these amazing creations in the next room.”

 

 

Also overflowing with handmade beauty, MacGregor’s finds from historic H.A. Schmid/Testadura are marked for next year’s Derby creations.

 

 

As the adventure continued, so blossomed this jet-setter’s language skills. With a laugh, MacGregor recalls, “My French became increasingly better as I found more to buy!”

 

 

And what Parisian tour would be complete without a lounge at the doorstep of Coco Chanel? Joined by fellow milliner Jill Courtemanche, MacGregor concluded her dream trip with a pilgrimage to the icon’s pied-à-terre.

We at DFW Style Daily will look forward to MacGregor’s Paris-inspired designs as new seasons arrive. In parting, she reveals that debuts will reach outside the “comfort zone,” via new shapes, trims, and of course, color.

 

All vacation images, courtesy of Cassandra MacGregor. Cassandra MacGregor portrait, credit Elliot Muñoz Photography.