Accomplished actress and NIDA graduate Libby Munro has launched her first collection of handmade hats under her new label, Bluegrass Hat Co. The Hollywood Collection was unveiled to more than 100 guests during a special event at Collingwood Black Espresso in Albion.
Ms Munro, the daughter of William David Munro, a fourth-generation cowboy west of Charleville, has been known for her signature Akubra hat for most of her life. Whilst staying in Los Angeles in 2019, she was gifted a custom-made Meshika “Alberto” hat by her partner, Nick King, and designed this piece with all the hatband elements that fortified her creative experience.
Whilst stuck back home in Australia during the lockdowns, Ms Munro thought back to this custom-made hat. After getting in touch with milliner Brenda Treasure on the Sunshine Coast, Ms Munro trained one-on-one as a hat designer for six months during the pandemic. Out of this venture, Bluegrass Hat Co was born.
It was her mother who blurted out the name “Bluegrass” whilst she was brainstorming ideas. After doing some reading on the origins of Bluegrass music, Ms Munro realised that it was a link to her long-deceased cowboy father.
Bluegrass Hat Co’s The Hollywood Collection features The Bogie, Eastwood, The Duke, The Pitt, The Monroe, The Blue Angel, The Bacall, and The Taylor, which are named after the actors who have inspired Ms Munro, as a cinema and theatre buff.
Libby also makes custom designs specifically to suit a person and personality, just like her experience with the Alberto hat during her time in Venice. In between her new hat business, Libby has been working on a project with Netflix.
Order Bluegrass Hat Co handmade hats online and follow their Facebook page for updates on the next collection.
