Annie Boyd, Master Hatter
In Residence | White Story Armadale | 11–16 May 2026
The Long Road
There is a certain kind of woman who chooses the long road — one that asks for patience, repetition, and a belief in process. Not for ease, but for what is built over time. A way of working that values discipline, instinct, and quiet persistence over immediacy. It’s this way of thinking that draws us to the women we choose to bring into our world.
Annie Boyd is one of them.
A Decision to Begin
In her fifties, Annie made a decision that would quietly reshape her life: to learn the art of hat making. With no shortcuts in sight, she reached across continents to American master hatter Shorty Koger, asking for the chance to observe, absorb, and begin.
In many ways, the decision felt instinctive — a continuation of something already familiar. A return to craftsmanship, process, and working by hand. Following footsteps laid long before her, while shaping a practice entirely her own.
What followed was not a moment, but a decade — ten years of returning, refining, and recommitting to the discipline of her craft.
There is something in that decision that feels rare. A willingness to begin again, without urgency. To commit to something not for outcome, but for the process itself.
A Practice Built Over Time
From her workshop in Swanpool, Victoria, Annie has built something both grounded and expansive. What began with leather work evolved into straw and felt hats — each piece carrying the imprint of her hands and the story of where she’s been.
Her space reflects it all: a lived-in archive of craftsmanship, travel, and quiet persistence, where every object feels earned.
Her community has grown steadily, drawn not by spectacle, but by substance. Across Australia, Annie has become sought after by many — from quarter horse riders to cowboy communities — for hats that are personal, considered, and made to last.
In Her Hands
There is an authenticity to Annie’s work that feels deeply connected to both people and place.
Rustic, earthy, and grounded in tradition, her practice is shaped by a life spent close to the land and the communities within it. Nothing feels overworked or manufactured — only honest, considered, and made with purpose.
Working primarily with natural fibres and durable materials, each hat is shaped slowly by hand using techniques refined over years of practice. Felt, straw, and leather are chosen not only for their quality, but for the way they wear and evolve over time.
It’s this approach that resonated with us most.
A shared appreciation for craftsmanship, longevity, and pieces designed to be lived in. Annie’s work reflects many of the values we hold closely at White Story — an understanding that true quality comes not from excess, but from intention.
A natural partnership, grounded in process, materiality, and a mutual respect for things made with purpose.
In Motion
A connection to the land sits naturally within Annie’s work — in the materials she chooses, the communities she works within, and the life her hats are made for.
Felt, straw, and leather are chosen for their durability and character, designed to soften and evolve over time. Pieces made to be worn properly — travelled in, shaped by weather, and carried across seasons.
Her work has taken her across Australia and the world, shaping and repairing hats within quarter horse and cowboy communities, where craftsmanship and utility remain deeply valued. A world where a hat is not simply worn, but lived in.
Annie remains in motion — still returning to the US each year, still learning, still refining her craft.
Outside of her workshop, she continues to compete on her horse, Patience, balancing discipline with instinct, tradition with evolution. A reflection of the same rhythm that defines her work.
An Invitation
From May 11th - 16th 2026, Annie will be joining us in-store.
Bringing her practice with her, she will offer hat steaming, shaping, and personalisation — each piece adjusted and formed in real time. An opportunity to experience her work as it happens, and to have something made uniquely your own.
There is something rare in witnessing craft in motion. In understanding not just the finished piece, but everything that sits behind it — the time, the discipline, the care.
For us, this is not just about the hat.
It’s about the hands behind it.
