Education
She studied millinery with Waltraud Reiner of Torb and Reiner and started her fashion career by making hats and fascinators for her friends.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Lisa Xu
Edit ProfileCareer
Xu"s original background is in the medical world of diagnostic imaging and now she is also an emerging talent as a designer of millinery and the owner of "Lady of Leisure Millinery" and "Lady of Leisure Jewellery", millinery and accessories businesses. Xu is a regular racegoer and part of the inspiration for her business came from growing tired of paying a lot of money for hats and deciding make her own. She also credits hat designer, Philip Treacy, as one of her inspirations.
Her hobby/sideline quickly grew and now her label, "Lady of Leisure Millinery", has many Australian and international clients.
The business commenced in 2010 and has already expanded, with the addition of a jewellery range. In an article in the Street Vincent"s Hospital Melbourne newsletter, Xu explains that "the average hat can take up to a week to create and is made in various stages, from moulding the base to sewing and affixing different elements and adornments".
In 2010, Xu had her initial success in the mainstream millinery world when she made it to the preliminary finals in the Derby Day Fashions on the Field at Flemington. At the November 2012 Ballarat Cup meeting, Xu was awarded the Ballarat Cup Lady of the Day and a number of millinery sashes.
At the February 2013 Mornington Cup meeting, Xu was the runner up in the "Fashions on the Field Millinery Award", with her entry described as "simplistically beautiful".
The 2013 Bendigo Cup race meeting was the venue for a Myer Fashions on the Field event and the Myer Millinery Award was taken out by an entrant wearing a headpiece designed by Lisa Xu. Xu was an entrant in the 2013 Flemington Derby day Fashions on the Field event in November and showed the power of online retailing by highlighting that she was able to purchase her outfit via the internet for just $200 including her suit ($100), shoes ($100) and her hat that she made ($0). Xu is a nuclear medicine technologist at Street Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, starting there in 2010.
She has a Bachelor of Biomedical Science from Deakin University Bachelor of Science(Honours), and a Masters of Medical Radiations specialising in Nuclear Medicine from Monash University.
