***Tickets on sale from early April ***
The British Hat Guild presents a two-day symposium to celebrate Britain’s specialist millinery and hat making techniques that now feature on The Red List of Endangered Crafts. Hosted in the heritage-inspired surroundings of The Founders’ Livery Hall, and in partnership with Heritage Crafts and The Worshipful Company of Feltmakers, the event will bring together makers, historians, designers and enthusiasts to honour skills deeply rooted in the nation’s cultural and fashion history.
Across a programme of talks on May 16th and 17th, the symposium will explore the craftsmanship, techniques, and stories that define traditional hat-making. Highlights include a talk by Rachel Trevor Morgan, milliner to the late Queen Elizabeth II, offering insight into the making of Her Majesty's hats and their distinctive fabric flowers; a celebration of Lock & Co. Hatters, as they mark 350 years as the world’s oldest hatters; and specialist sessions including straw plaiting and hatting, fabric pleating, plume making and Britain’s pre-industrial felt-making heritage.
By shining a light on these remarkable skills and the people who practice them, the symposium offers an opportunity to appreciate their enduring relevance and to respect the rich legacy they represent within today's British craft and design industry.
Saturday 16th May, 9.15am – 1pm Session 1
Video Introduction by the British Hat Guild Chairman - Stephen Jones
Introduction by the Head of Heritage for the British Hat Guild - Dillion Wallwork
A Future for Heritage Crafts - Mary Lewis, Heritage Crafts
In this presentation, Mary Lewis, Head of Craft Sustainability at the Heritage Crafts Association, explores the vital role of traditional crafts in the UK and the challenges the sector faces today. She introduces the Red List of Endangered Crafts, a key research initiative that identifies heritage skills at risk of disappearing due to factors such as a dwindling number of practitioners, lack of training routes and a lack of public awareness.
This session will also provide opportunities to discuss the particular issues facing hat making and millinery and how the Red List can be utilised to provide support and advocacy for hat makers.
Straw Plaiting and Strip Sewing – A Perfect Synergy - Lucy Barlow and Veronica Main MBE
Lucy and Veronica will share their passion and appreciation of these critically endangered skills, their collaborations and hopes for the future.
‘Jaffe Feathers - UK's last remaining Plumassiers' - film
Plume making at Jaffe Feathers, the last remaining feather dyer and manufacturer in the UK. A glimpse behind the scenes at how the team at Jaffe work together to sort, dye and process feathers into a range of Plumes which are utilised by a number of creative industries.
My Fascination with Feathers - Ian Bennett
In this talk, Ian Bennett discusses the role of feathers within contemporary hat making and millinery, focusing on their relevance within today’s fashion and creative industries
Saturday 16th May, 2pm – 5.30pm Session 2
Hand Pleating: From Flat to Form - Paul Stafford with Bridget Bailey
Bridget Bailey and Paul Stafford explore the development, process, and possibilities of hand-pleated fabric within their respective practices. Bridget will present video material illuminating her approach and techniques, while Paul will discuss his work and way of working in person.
Hats in Motion: Exploring Millinery through Marionette Puppetry - Rebecca Gray
‘Step into a world where every hat tells a story.’ Hats in Motion fuses hat-making, millinery, puppetry, and marionettes, exploring interactive, imaginative possibilities inspired by circus wonder and fairytales. Discover how these traditional crafts might come alive in playful and unexpected ways!!
The UK’s Love Affair with Panamas - A History - Mavi Tzaig, The Panama Hat Company
A Panama is to Hat Wearing as Ray Bans are to Sunglass wearing !! - This talk will take you through 100 years of Craft, Fashion, and the British Obsession with quality.
Flowers for the Queen: Inside the Craft of Royal Millinery - Rachel Trevor – Morgan
Royal milliner Rachel Trevor-Morgan shares a behind-the-scenes look at the inspiration and craft of designing hats for Queen Elizabeth II. In particular, Rachel will discuss the process of creating silk flowers for Her Majesty’s hats, revealing the meticulous process behind these iconic designs. Illustrated with examples of flowers and hats from her atelier.
Sunday 17th May, 9.15am – 1pm Session 3
Video Introduction by the British Hat Guild Chairman – Stephen Jones
Heritage Crafts in Education - Sarah Cant, The Kings Foundation and Vesna Pesic, Morley College
This talk introduces The Chanel & King’s Foundation Métiers d’Art Millinery Fellowship, a new educational opportunity in millinery. It explores the development of the programme’s curriculum in collaboration with fellow tutors and industry partners, highlights the heritage craft skills at its core, and examines how students engage with and benefit from learning these traditional techniques
Morley College London presents a talk on the role of heritage millinery skills in contemporary education, with a particular focus on the CertHE Creative Practice: Millinery and BA (Hons) Creative Practice: Millinery. The session will explore how the curriculum was developed in collaboration with tutors and industry partners, and how traditional skills can be sustained, deepened and carried into contemporary practice through higher education.
Straw Hat Machines - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow - Harvy Santos and Claire Strickland
In this talk, Claire Strickland and Harvy Santos will be covering a brief history of the 17-Guinea Machine, the various machine set ups, its care & maintenance and their wonderful creations through photos, stories and live demonstrations on the machines. They will also share with you their journey from finding the machine, discovering its functions and experimenting with various materials — plus the introduction of the GJ2-2 straw braid machine which can now be obtained from China!
Bowed-Felt Hatmaking: Rediscovering a Lost British Craft - Rachel Frost
“Bowed-felt hat making” is a traditional felting process used specifically for hat making, named after the distinctive giant bow that plays a key role in the craft.
Join historian and hatmaker Rachel Frost as she recounts her remarkable journey to rediscover this ancient British technique — a craft that had been lost for more than 150 years. Through research, experimentation, and historical investigation, Rachel brings this fascinating piece of Britain’s hat making heritage back to life.
Sunday 17th May, 2pm – 5.30pm Session 4
The Hidden Craft Behind Every Hat - Catherine Morse - Brown, Guy Morse Brown Hat Blocks
Guy Morse-Brown Hat Blocks is one of the few remaining makers of traditional hat blocks in the UK, crafting the essential forms behind men’s and women’s hats. In this talk, I explore the heritage and skill of this endangered craft, showing how precision, knowledge of materials, and centuries of tradition shape every hat. Attendees will gain insight into the art and science of hat block making, see examples of different block types, and watch a short video demonstrating the nuances of creating open crown blocks for men’s styles. The session also highlights how Guy Morse-Brown supports the wider hatting and millinery industry, ensuring these skills continue to thrive for future generations.
Say it with Flowers: a conversation about traditional flower-making - Guilia Mio , Edwina Ibbotson and Petershams
Join leading expert flower-maker Edwina Ibbotson and Giulia Mio in a conversation with Fiona Winter-Yates from Petershams Millinery Supplies, exploring their precious archive of vintage tools and flower samples as a starting point to dive into modern flower-making, focusing on the difference in techniques and their applications in contemporary millinery.
Celebrating 350 Years of Lock & Co - Ben Dalrymple, Lock & Co Hatters
This talk celebrates 350 years of the historic London hatters Lock & Co. Hatters and reflects on the enduring legacy of one of the world’s oldest family-owned businesses. It explores the evolution of hat making at Lock & Co., from traditional handcrafted techniques to its continued relevance in contemporary fashion and culture.