Scottish Enterprise Awards 2026 / 32 Best Contemporary Scottish Headwear Designer 2026 The Scottish couture millinery that Fascinatingly Different offers blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Led by talented milliner Emma Mitchell, the brand designs and crafts bold, handcrafted headpieces inspired by the unmistakable landscapes, heritage, and spirit of Scotland. As Emma is named the Best Contemporary Scottish Headwear Designer 2026 in this year’s Scottish Enterprise Awards, we spoke with her for more on her designs and the inspirations behind them. From sculptural Ascot and occasion pieces to refined bridal headwear, every design Emma Mitchell crafts as part of the Fascinatingly Different collection is made by hand and uniquely created for the wearer. Emma’s expertise guides all of her commissions, and she handles everything from conceptional to completion. The result is a highly personal service for clients seeking exceptional, distinctive, and highly personal millinery. Despite growing up as the daughter of a farmer, Emma always knew her calling was as a designer and maker. Creativity came naturally to her from a young age, and took Emma all the way to university, and a fashion design course. Returning home to Scotland a little older and a lot wiser, she settled in a small former mining village, and is lucky enough to be surrounded by the landscapes and rolling hills of Dumfries and Galloway, with this backdrop and the seasons it encompasses massively inspiring her work. With its studio nestled in the heart of this community, Fascinatingly Different sees Emma offer three main services to her clients. The first is a collection of ready-towear pieces, with these signature collections mixing the proud heritage of Scotland with a contemporary aesthetic. The second core service is a heirloom re-style, which sees Emma re-imagine vintage, heritage, and preloved hats as treasured pieces by giving them a new lease of life. Last but not least, Fascinatingly Different offers a bespoke and made-to-order service, where Emma designs fully bespoke hats from scratch, alongside personalising her existing designs by adding splashes of colour, new materials, and extra detailing. She can also carry out bits of custom dyeing and create fly plaids and boutonnieres to coordinate with her headwear, which is perfect for those couples attending special events like weddings. Through this eclectic mix, Emma appeals to clients who value individuality, artistry, and craftsmanship. As she told us: “Every piece is designed to make a statement, tell a story, and be worn with confidence.” Given headwear has a rich history in Scotland, Emma must also preserve the heritage of this craft, celebrating it but also making it appeal to a wider audience. 2027. This includes expanding the grand Scottish Edit collection into a wedding and racing range, a project Emma is very excited about. The aim, she said, is for the collection to continue to walk the line between tradition and modernity, and offer pieces that feel timeless and yet retain a sense of individuality and occasion. Emma is also developing her own skills as a milliner, refining her training by trying out some new techniques. Spurring this on is her belief that people should never stop learning, especially when they work in a creative industry, and her personal desire to continue to evolve, challenge herself, and bring something fresh and exciting to the table for clients. Her mix of dedication, talent, appreciation for heritage, and commitment to the future of Scottish headwear and millinery makes Emma Mitchell fitting of being recognised as the Best Contemporary Scottish Headwear Designer 2026. Her latest projects can be followed below. Contact: Emma Mitchell Company: Fascinatingly Different Web Address: https://www. fascinatinglydifferent.scot/ The challenge of promoting Scottish headwear and Scotland’s exceptional textile industry on a global stage is a challenge Emma relishes. She especially enjoys the actual making of the pieces, creating them by hand in a way that is sustainable and kind to the planet. A zero-waste design underpins her craft, and Emma will always support local businesses where possible, working with quality Scottish materials that she has sourced from nearby partners. In a world of fast fashion and fleeting trends, Fascinatingly Different lives up to its name by bucking these and focusing not on what is fashionable today, but rather looking at traditional techniques through fresh eyes. As Emma herself then added: “I believe true innovation can exist alongside tradition. By combining Scottish materials, skilled handmaking, and modern design thinking, it is possible to create headwear that feels relevant today while remaining connected to the generations of craftsmanship that came before.” Driven by her ability to strike this balance for her clients, Emma is continuing to strengthen Fascinatingly Different, which has some exciting developments taking place behind the scenes for the rest of 2026 and into
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