The late Alexander Conley III was a fixture in Seattle millinery until his death in 2014. This glimpse into his life and craft (complete with demonstration of a conformateur) is wonderful.
Royal Hats
The Bold, Beautiful and Bizarre World of Royal Millinery
Royal Hats 
This sent me down a long and deep rabbit hole! Mr. Conley was truly a skilled craftsman, the likes of which we seldom see today. While we are in awe of his painstaking attention to detail, he was very matter of fact about it: “This is just how it is supposed to be done.”
I was also fascinated to learn about the conformateur…originally made to aid in phrenology, even though it looks more like a torture device!
Thank you for these glimpses into artistry!
Thank you for this interesting post and a glimpse into Mr. Conely’s life. What a craftsman! Does anyone know if he passed his craft on?
Thank you. I had the opportunity of meeting Mr. CONELY. He made a hat for me. Thank you.
Thank you: interesting and inspirational on many levels!
That was fantastic – thanks for posting. Not only did I learn what a conformateur is (what an interesting contraption) but there was also wonderful warmth and wisdom!