A NEWLY-qualified hatmaker is displaying her collection of 1940s hats at The Railway In Wartime event in Pickering this year.

Suzanne Gill, from Ampleforth, will show her hats on October 15, 16 and 17 in Pickering and at stops along the line of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The event, which is Suzanne’s first commission since she qualified with a distinction in millinery from the Leeds College of Art, is expected to pull in crowds of more than 20,000 people.

Her hats have been inspired by Hollywood glamour, home front fashion and the Land Girls and include influences from film stars, including Ingrid Bergman and Joan Crawford, and the avant-garde hats worn in the dark and dramatic film noir movies.

Suzanne said: “For the Forties collection I have used a number of recycled items to be true to the make do and mend era. I also want to show that as a designer in modern times it is important to recycle. With Forties fashion making a comeback, the aim of my collection is to dazzle.”