Fashion: Hats off to Sarah; Janet Tansley meets the woman who's got a head start in fashion.

Byline: Janet Tansley

WHEN Sara Dooley saw a gap in the fashion market she filled it -with some feathers, a few frills and a great deal of finesse!

Sara, from Garston, felt so frustrated when she failed to find the perfect hat for her brother's wedding that she stored the idea of creating her own.

And four years and a just a handful of lessons later, the 29-year-old is doing just that.

``When my brother got married my mum and I searched everywhere for hats to match our outfits,'' says Sara. ``In the end we got the colours to match but not something that really suited us.

``I remember thinking there was a gap in the market and loved the idea of making my own hats to fill it.

``I have always been creative but I hadn't had an ounce of fashion training,certainly not in millinery.''

But when Sara was offered voluntary redundancy from her job at Marconi she seized the opportunity to fulfill her dream.

``I had been working for Marconi for 10 years but when they offered voluntary redundancy last year I realised I had the opportunity to put my money where my mouth was.

``Maybe it was a brave move,'' she confesses when pressed.

``But it was something I felt I really wanted to do.

``I had never done any art in school but I have always had an artistic side to me. This was a way I could bring it out.''

Single Sara rang around to first find a milinery school: ``I went on a course in September last year in Wolverhampton. I have basically done two week long courses.

``Then I set about finding suppliers for all the materials I would need.''

Sara has no doubts it was the right move for her. Although she now has a part-time job as a training administrator for a civil engineering company,her ambition is run her own company full time.

And,hats off to her, she's well on her way.

She has set up Hatrageous from her home and,as well as making hats for individuals, Sara already supplies three Liverpool shops.

Indeed, all her spare time is spent creating tantalising titfers.

``I look for ideas in everything,'' she says. ``If I see a pair of shoes I like the design of they'llgive me an idea,or if I see flowers I think: `I could use those on a hat'.

``It takes around 21 hours to make a hat,depending on the design,and the average cost is around pounds 90.''

Sara makes her creations for a range of clients.

``I make hats for weddings but also a lot for the races. The women in the Jewish community wear hats to the synagogue so I'mbeing asked to make hats for them and for christenings,garden parties and even head-dresses to match evening wear.''

Sara, who also retrims hats, says her ambition is for Hatrageous to be her sole job.

``I get a real sense of satisfaction when I finish a hat. The only problem is they are like my babies and, sometimes,I don't want to give them away!'' To contact Sara phone [phone] or log onto www.hatrageous.co.uk

CAPTION(S):

1:Red Swirl Hat in Sinamay decorated with arrow head feathers - pounds 150.Says Sara, pictured far left: ``I know that sounds a lot,but there's a lot of work in this.'' 2: White feature hat with red and black stripped quilldetail,made from Sinamay (banana fibre from the Plantain tree) - pounds 100. ``Someone wanted a hat with holes in and this is what I came up with.'' 3: Hand painted animal print hat in Sinamay created to match a pair of shoes, pounds 110. 4: Large bow detailed hat in lilac, edged with lilac metallic Sinamay with a purple painted stripe along the bow, pounds 100,``made for my visit to Aintree this year!''; Pictures by Jason Roberts