QLR Design: Headpieces for the Queens of Their Own Lives

December is a sparkling festive season when we long to adorn ourselves with something special and eye-catching. That’s why this edition of the Artist Series takes us to the cosy home studio of Kaie Kuuler, the creator of QLR Design, located in Viimsi. It’s here that both classic and bold hats and headpieces come to life.

Kaie has worked in fashion all her life – mainly as a tailor for other designers. She has also created accessories for fashion shows, and it was precisely there that her love for headpieces began. “At one point, I had this moment of clarity: it’s now or now,” she says about the instant, seven years ago, when the time felt right to start her own brand.

Kaie’s work is wonderfully diverse, offering something for every taste and mood. The brand’s selection includes everything from classic hats to wildly expressive headpieces. “I personally love leaning into extremes,” she says. “Sometimes I want to be minimalist and create very simple, classic headpieces. But then other times I want to put on a pink brocade bow and be a crazy babe,” she laughs. This wide range is what makes QLR Design truly unique.

Inspiration finds Kaie in many ways. Sometimes it arrives unexpectedly – like the time she was searching for one fabric in the middle of winter and instead found a piece of green material. “I knew instantly that in May I’d turn it into a lily-of-the-valley headband,” she recalls. During the busy season of custom orders in May, Kaie felt that her cup was finally overflowing and that she needed to take a moment for herself. “I pushed everything else aside and spent two days making only that headpiece. I had been savoring the idea for months – imagining what I’d make and how I’d do it. I wanted to see if it would work technically. And when the headpiece was finished… I was truly happy.”

Kaie’s creative process is partly intuitive and partly practical. Seasonality and people’s needs play a role as well. Around Christmas, collections are dominated by black, gold, silver, white and deep green, accented with shimmering stones and sequins. Spring pieces are always lighter and more colourful. Kaie collects materials gradually so that when inspiration strikes, she can begin immediately. “I need to have a lot of ‘straw and feathers’ on hand. When an idea comes, I don’t want to wait weeks for materials to arrive – the excitement will fade,” she explains. She never sketches designs on paper; everything is already in her mind.

Kaie also enjoys the challenge of engineering complex constructions. “Should I make this detail stand upright? How do I make it stay? How do I outsmart gravity? And there’s nothing a little wire and a bit of gentle force won’t fix,” she says with a laugh.

Kaie’s creative field is broad, and so is her choice of materials. Winter hats are made from natural felt; summer models from natural sisal. Everything else falls somewhere in between. “I use sequins, feathers, straw, velvet, netting, stones, pearls… you name it,” she says. “Anything that can be made into something may become part of my work.” This freedom to combine materials allows her to experiment with shapes and create both classic and fantastical headpieces.

Among all the possibilities, there is one material Kaie returns to again and again: feathers. “Think about a bird – it has so many different feathers: flight feathers, down feathers, stiff quills. Different birds have completely different types of feathers, and that is incredibly inspiring,” she explains. Feathers offer endless variations and natural beauty, making them one of her favourite materials.

Kaie sources feathers ethically and transparently. She orders them mainly from Spain and the UK, where they arrive as natural by-products. Ostrich and pheasant feathers can also come as by-products from zoos or ostrich farms.

Kaie enjoys her work so much that she never checks the clock to see how long a headpiece takes to make. “People constantly ask me how many hours I spent on a piece. What difference does it make?” she says. Some designs are naturally more time-consuming, but the joy of creating outweighs any need to measure time. “Of course, I know the labour and price need to be in harmony,” she adds with a smile. She usually works on several pieces at once, switching between them based on mood and stage of completion.

“I’m always the most productive in the mornings – that’s when I shape hats, which is fairly physical work,” Kaie says. Pulling two or three felts over a mold can be completely exhausting, especially with more complex shapes. Afternoons are reserved for calmer, more delicate handwork that requires patience. Often she works on multiple projects side by side to use time efficiently. While molded hats dry, she focuses on other unfinished pieces. “I’m a complete multitasker – I try to make use of every minute,” she laughs. Still, Kaie has one rule: “No matter how inspired I am, after five o’clock I stop – otherwise I would burn out.”

“My work has definitely evolved over time, mostly thanks to the skills I’ve gained,” Kaie says. She is a member of the Australian Hat Academy, where members receive a new video course every month. “I’m constantly learning something new, and once you have the skills, new ideas follow. You discover materials or techniques you’ve never used before.” Kaie started with simple headbands and decorations but now also makes full-fledged hats. “That’s a big step forward.”

The growth in skills has expanded her creative range, and thanks to online courses, she has learned far more than before. “Because of Covid, many courses moved online. Previously, you had to travel to London for 2–3 days, but if you’re a craftsperson, learning online is not a problem at all – it’s not inferior to learning in person.”

Despite all the growth, Kaie admits that a small creative fear lingers. “Sometimes I wonder – what if next time no idea comes? It always does! But you can’t help the fear that maybe you’ve emptied yourself out.”

“I usually leave two or three years between different designs – I don’t repeat things back-to-back,” she says. “In that time, new ideas naturally come. And sometimes I revisit an older bestseller and give it a little refresh.”

Kaie insists that QLR Design headpieces are not just for “bold women.” She’s often surprised when people equate wearing a headpiece with bravery. “People are mostly afraid of the attention such an accessory might bring. But you can always choose something more subtle,” she adds with a smile.

Her headpieces are meant for people who enjoy standing out, expressing individuality and adding something special to their style. “People are so different – for one person a huge fuchsia bow isn’t enough, while for another, a tiny bow at the back of the head is already too much,” she laughs.

At the heart of all Kaie’s creations is one feeling: joy. “I put pure joy into every accessory I make. I hope that when people wear them, they feel a little happier, a little brighter. That it brings something extra to their day or to a festive occasion. Lifts them up.”

Kaie believes that headpieces hold a unique magic – they instantly create a new mood. “A headpiece is like a little character-building ritual on the stage of your life. When you put on a piece with real wow-effect, your posture straightens, your chest lifts and a smile just appears.”

She recalls one piece of customer feedback with special warmth: “There was a bride who wanted a large feather flower. When it was finished, she started doubting – maybe it was too much. She left uncertain, but later she sent me photos and wrote that she couldn’t imagine her wedding day without that headpiece.”

When asked whose head she would most love to see her designs on, Kaie says her thoughts jump between extremes. “Definitely Kate Middleton – a princess now and a future queen. Or on the other hand, the pop princess, the uncrowned queen Lady Gaga.” The contrast perfectly reflects her creative range – from royal classicism to playful fantasy.

A fascinator, Kaie explains, is a headpiece that is not built on a structured base but attached to a headband, clip or comb. “The decoration itself is the fascinator,” she clarifies.

Royal Ascot, for example, has strict rules: attendees must wear a hat or headpiece with a base of at least 10 cm in diameter, and fascinators are not permitted. It’s said that the royal family follows the unwritten rule of always wearing hats and never fascinators at events.

With her background in tailoring and her perfectionism, Kaie places great emphasis on durability. “Of course, headpieces can be damaged due to unfortunate accidents, but since they are mostly festive accessories worn for one evening and then stored away, they don’t wear out much.” Most headbands have metal frames, making them both flexible and long-lasting.

Felt hats are more like everyday items and naturally show signs of wear over time, but their lifespan is long. “A felt hat can be cleaned, steamed and reshaped. It comes back to life and lasts for years,” Kaie says.

In the future, Kaie hopes to broaden her hat collection. “All the classic models should be represented,” she says.

She also dreams of finding more time and entrepreneurial skill to market her brand abroad. “Estonia is very small, and the number of customers here is limited. I’d love to have the time and knowledge to reach clients elsewhere in the world.” She admits that in the global marketplace, no one is waiting for you – you must make yourself visible. Yet Kaie’s work has already travelled far through online sales. “Just recently, someone bought a hat from Chicago.”

In Estonia, customers find her in many ways. “When they come to the studio, I always ask how they discovered me. Some Googled, others got a recommendation from a friend.” Kaie believes word-of-mouth is always the most powerful.

Kaie believes Estonian design is clearly moving in step with global trends. “There’s a strong focus on sustainability – creating products that last, not something for one-time wear. Designers are using eco-friendly materials and paying attention to the product’s journey,” she says. In her view, Estonian designers are even ahead of the world in some ways, thanks to their thoughtful approach.

A Little Call to Action: “Wear more headpieces and hats — but be prepared for a shower of compliments!”