We are delighted to announce that Guild members Paul and Selina Stafford of The Season Hats are proud parents of twin boys.
Welcome to the world Robin Francis and Felix Alexander!
Congratulations and much love from the entire British Hat Guild.
'Hats Made Me' exhibition by Luton Culture Trust
The Culture Trust Luton presents ‘Hats Made Me’, a major exhibition that explores the global significance of hats and headwear.
The exhibition, staged at Stockwood Discovery Centre, features 400 years of hats from the collection as well as objects from the world’s most celebrated fashion and performance milliners, including British Hat Guild members Awon Golding, Philip Treacy and Jane Smith.
Featuring more than 200 objects, the exhibition includes a red visor design chosen by Beyoncé for Vogue magazine, a bridal hat worn by Cara Delevingne in Vogue, Michael Keaton’s cowl from Batman and a lace mantilla worn by Queen Isabella II of Spain.
This is one of the largest exhibitions of its kind, pulling together practical and purposeful headwear, with wonderful and whimsical costume from stage and screen. The exhibition explores why we wear hats, and how headwear is used to protect and transform, to say something, and to mean something.
Poster image above is a hat by Philip Treacy.
Venue:
Stockwood Discovery Centre
London Road
Luton
LU1 4LX
How to get there:
Parking - Stockwood Discovery Centre car park is big and it’s free! They also have 2 parking bays for coaches and 6 parking bays for disabled badge holders.
Train - Stockwood Discovery Centre is approximately 1.5 miles away from both Luton and Luton Airport Parkway. If you don’t fancy the walk, a taxi rank is located directly outside Luton Station, and taxis also frequent Luton Airport Parkway.
Bus - Take the 321 from Luton Town Centre, Church Street, Stop C9.
Opening hours and days:
22nd April 2023 - 10th December 2023
Weds - Sun, 11AM - 5PM - open 7 days a week in school holidays (check opening times on website here)
‘Showtime for Hats’ exhibition
While you are in Luton, look out for a second exhibition called ‘Showtime for Hats’ which will be open from 4th September 2023 until the end of October 2023. For more information click here.
‘Garden of Making’ by Bridget Bailey
photo by Yeshen Venema
Collect Open
Somerset House, London. 3 - 5 March 2023
Making her debut at international art fair Collect, ‘Garden of Making’ was inspired by Bridget Bailey’s encounters with plants and insects on her allotment. From millinery and textiles to fly-tying, found feathers to cat whiskers, velvet to abaca fibre, this immersive installation grew from the creative compost of her making life. Techniques and species combine and cross pollinate revealing parallels between making and the way nature evolves.
Find out more about this remarkable artist and Guild member here >
Alva Clifford Wilson
It is with great sadness and huge shock that we must share the news of the death of one of our members, Alva Wilson, on 21st December 2022.
As we digest this deeply sad news, we send our condolences to his family and friends.
In the coming days, we will share our thoughts and memories regarding Alva’s many accomplishments, and his contribution not only to our industry, but to the wider community.
He will be a great loss to us all.
Rest in peace, Alva.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
1926 - 2022
The British Hat Guild joins the nation, the Commonwealth and the world in mourning our remarkable monarch.
We will always be grateful for The Queen's constant and unwavering support for the hat industry.
above: photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images. Hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan
“It is with enormous sadness that we learned of the death of Her Majesty The Queen. It has been a true honour to have served her and had the opportunity to design her hats. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family.”
Hats Fit For A Queen - an update
We are delighted to share this exciting update from Epsom Downs. Please read on for their latest press release. Or to find out more about the hats, head over to our Events page, and scroll down.
EPSOM DOWNS NEWS: “HATS ‘FIT FOR A QUEEN” AUCTION RAISES CLOSE TO £9,000 FOR BRAIN TUMOUR RESEARCH
An online auction of a collection of 15 hats created for the Platinum Jubilee by some of the UK’s leading milliners has raised close to £9,000 for Brain Tumour Research.
The collection of hats was inspired by the seven decades of The Queen’s reign and entitled “Hats Fit For A Queen”.
Pieces by Royal milliner Rachel Trevor-Morgan and milliner to the stars Stephen Jones OBE formed part of the collection, which was displayed in the Queen Elizabeth II Stand at Epsom Downs Racecourse on both days of The Cazoo Derby (June 3rd & 4th), before subsequently being auctioned online.
The Cazoo Derby formed part of the official celebrations for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The project formed part of Go Epsom’s wider Platinum Jubilee festivities across the Borough of Epsom and Ewell, which celebrate The Queen’s lasting association with hats and their continued importance as a quintessential piece of raceday style.
The initiative was a new collaboration between Go Epsom, The British Hat Guild, Brain Tumour Research and Epsom Downs Racecourse and was promoted via the hashtag #HatsFitForAQueen.
“I am delighted that we have been able to help raise so much money for Brain Tumour Reaseach with ‘Project Hat’. It was very satisfying to see some of these incredible hats being worn over The Derby weekend by some extremely well known celebrities. And to know that they have now gone on to be cherished by their new owners is wonderful.
“If Her Majesty the Queen had been able to attend the Derby I feel sure she would have been very touched to have seen the efforts that the UK’s top milliners had gone to as a nod to her.”
“We are extremely grateful to Go Epsom, Epsom Downs Racecourse and The British Hat Guild for staging this wonderful exhibition, creating such a valuable platform to raise awareness of brain tumours and for the money raised.
“The auction proceeds will fund the equivalent of three days’ research at a Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence where scientists are focused on improving treatments and, ultimately, finding a cure. To be a part of this wonderful initiative during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations have made this very special for us.”
“All the 15 members of the British Hat Guild who took part were honoured to participate in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
“We loved the idea of making hats from all decades of HM The Queen’s reign from styles which would have been worn at The Derby in the 1950’s and right through to the modern day.
“The Guild have a close relationship with Brain Tumour Research, and we were thrilled that our members creations could be auctioned off to raise vital funds for them and their important work.”
“The Hats Fit For A Queen display at The Cazoo Derby proved to be a great success and the whole Jockey Club team are delighted to see the collection raise close to £9,000 for Brain Tumour Research.
“It was a great honour for The Cazoo Derby to be part of the official celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee and we hope the money raised for Brain Tumour Research will ensure that there is a positive and impactful legacy for this initiative.”
HNC @ 20
7 - 10 July 2022
This special exhibition was a wonderful celebration of 20 years of the HNC in Millinery, taught initially at Kensington & Chelsea College, and then under Morley College. Both colleges have been at the forefront of technical know-how, design and development of headwear throughout this time. Read on to find out more about the course.
The exhibition was held at Morley Gallery, close to London’s South Bank area. Graduate collections from this year’s students were presented alongside selected pieces from alumni, many of whom now have high-level positions within our industry, and indeed nine of whom are British Hat Guild members.
About the HNC
This one year programme includes a series of projects designed to develop students' creativity and build on existing millinery skills. With a strong focus on design development and specialist couture techniques including hand-shaping, block-making and theatrical millinery. Contextual studies, visual studies and professional practise add breadth to studio work, alongside tutorials, workshops and lectures.
This is a course for students with strong existing millinery skills who wish to pursue a career in millinery. It focuses on designing hats and developing the advanced skills required to realise your ideas. The course is made up of 10 units which are integrated within a number of exciting projects including Felts, Theatrical Millinery, Commercial Millinery, Couture Millinery, Block-Making and designing and realising a Final Collection of 5 hats.
London Craft Week
9th - 15th May 2022
Wherever I Lay My Hat
Two of our members, Karen Henriksen and Vesna Pesic, are participating in this inspiring exhibition for London Craft Week. Conceived and curated by Jo Cope in collaboration with Shelter, the hats in this project represent a 'roof over the head' while exploring the importance of having a home that you can call your own, a place to lay your 'hat' and to rest your head.
Boutique by Shelter, Unit EV8, 1st Floor, Coal Drops Yard, London N1C 4AB.
Monday 9th - Sunday 15th May. Free Entry, no booking required.
Find out more here.
The Future of Craft
Guild member Bridget Bailey is part of an exciting new showcase of work by leading designers and craftspeople, selected by Design-Nation, returning to this esteemed London Craft Week exhibition.
Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, London SE1 9PH.
Thursday 12th - Sunday 15th May. Free Entry, booking recommended.
Find out more here.
Wear A Hat Day 2022
Friday 25th March
We hope you’ll join us on Friday 25th March 2022, to celebrate ‘Wear a Hat’ day, raising vital funds for Brain Tumour Research.
See what our members are doing on The British Hat Guild instagram.
Or host your own Mad Hatter’s Tea Party! Invite your friends, family and the hat wearers in your life to join you for tea & cake. You can register your interest and get your fundraising kit here >
Take a photo and tag us on social media: @Britishhatguild @braintumourrsch #wearahatday
Or get involved with Wear a Hat Day in other ways, such as:
Run a (hat themed) cake sale
Simply take a hat selfie & donate
Browse and buy from the Brain Tumour Research merchandise
Or just donate! Details below
Text HAT to 70450 to donate £5 to Brain Tumour Research.
Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message.
Hugh Adams, Head of Stakeholder Relations has been working at the charity Brain Tumour Research for over a decade and says the support of milliners has been crucial in the growth of Wear A Hat Day.
“It really has been a thrill to have engaged with the millinery community over the years. We have had inspired designs for our signature brooches from Philip Treacy, Stephen Jones, Vivian Sheriff, Edwina Ibbotson, Noel Stewart and more and this year’s brooch is a typically elegant piece inspired by a Rachel Trevor Morgan design. We’ve loved the patronage of Lock Hatters and developing relationships with the London Hat Week and The Hat Magazine. At the core of this wonderful millinery support is the British Hat Guild and the open, collaborative and creative way they have joined with us. Wear A Hat Day is now nationally recognised and has raised over £1 million to support our vital work. People cannot support a cause unless they know it exists and working with the BHG helps us, not just raise money but to raise vital awareness of the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40 and of the need for better funded research as the route to improving patient options and outcomes. From all of us at the charity we send sincerest thanks to all of you for what you have done, what you are doing and what you will do in support of Brain Tumour Research. We are proud to share our day, Wear A Hat Day, with you. Working together we can get closer to a cure. “
This year’s signature brooch is a beautifully elegant design by Rachel Trevor Morgan.
Available to buy here >
A well-dressed Christmas Tree
For Christmas 2021, The British Hat Guild is proud to have partnered with The Stafford Hotel in St James’s, London, raising funds for a much-loved charity. Each Guild member was invited to design and make a decoration for the hotel’s Christmas tree, in their own style and aesthetic. You can see all of these beautiful bespoke baubles below, and scroll to see the tree in situ.
Each decoration is being sold, with all proceeds going to the extremely worthwhile StreetSmart, a charity set up by the hospitality industry to help homeless and vulnerable people, not just at Christmas, but all year round. If you are interested in purchasing one, please contact The Stafford Hotel.
You can also make a donation direct to StreetSmart via their Just Giving page.
‘Dressed to the Nines’
13th October 2021
In this talk at Wardown House Museum in Luton, Guild Member Alva Wilson discusses how his heritage, Windrush and Black History has inspired his career throughout the years.
A retrospective on how the Windrush Generation style and fashion during the 60s & 70s inspired the UK fashion revolution.
Find out more and book your place here.
The Season Returns
Royal Ascot 2021
June was a busy month for many of our members - in particular it was wonderful to see Royal Ascot once again open its doors, albeit in a reduced capacity. An important event for so many Guild members, see below for just a few of their many glorious creations on show at Royal Ascot 2021.
The Tootsies wear pastel organdie hats by Bee Smith. Photo courtesy of Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Vivian Ho wears a silver satin pillbox hat by John Boyd Hats
Zoe wears a lace covered sinamay straw hat by Edwina Ibbotson
Ellen Naylor wears leather rose percher hat by Jenny Roberts
Sally wears hat by Giulia Mio
Susan Bender wears ‘Heartbreaker’ hat by Awon Golding. Photo courtesy of Kirstin Sinclair/Getty Images
Philly Goodall wears ‘Volute’ hat by Camilla Rose
Gina Bryce wears sinamay headpiece by Lisa Tan
Irene Harvey wears ‘Rainbow Ribbon Twist’ by John Boyd Hats. This was one of the hats created for the Royal Ascot 2020 Auction
Further Reading
Royal Ascot 2021 by Carole Denford, Fashion Hat.
An in-depth article covering each day of the meeting, with trend report and many images, and information about the Royal Ascot digital race-card.
Wear A Hat Day 2021
Friday 26th March
As part of Brain Tumour Awareness Month, Wear A Hat Day was first launched in 2010 by national charity Brain Tumour Research. Since then, the event has raised over £2 million to help fund crucial research at UK Centres of Excellence, and to support the charity’s vital campaigning activity as they continue to influence UK governments and larger cancer charities to invest more in research nationally.
Find out more and get involved here.
Our members are looking forward to taking part - follow us on Instagram to see what we’re getting up to on the day!
This year, Guild member Harvy Santos has designed the Wear A Hat Day signature brooch. Known for his rich colours, floating scatters and exploding pompoms, Harvy’s vivid and bold visual style make this year’s brooch totally joyful.
The brooch is just £10 (plus any donation you’d like to make on top). It is limited to a run of just 500, each with a numbered certificate of authenticity, and is available to buy here.
Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust open for applications
We are delighted to announce that the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust will be accepting new applications for funding between 11 January and 15 February 2021.
Talented and aspiring candidates can apply for up to £18,000 to further their education through traditional college courses, vocational training, apprenticeships or one-to-one training with master craftsmen.
For further details and to apply please visit www.qest.org.uk.
Deadline for applications is 5pm, 15 February 2021.
above: previous Qest scholars working in millinery, including Guild members Veronica Main and Lucy Barlow
Closure of Olney Headwear
It is with great sadness that we learnt of the closure of one of Luton’s leading hat manufacturers Olney Headwear Ltd, on 21st December 2020.
Established in 1914, this family-owned and run business successfully navigated the many challenges thrown its way, constantly updating their products and practices. However, sadly even they have not been able to survive the devastating effects of Covid-19, brought about by the closure of their many retail stockists, with whom they had built a long and prosperous relationship.
“We at the British Hat Guild salute the owners and employees both past and present for the devotion they have shown to that wonderful accessory The Hat, the object of our passion and livelihoods.
As the British hat industry changes shape, the BHG members and friends look forward to being part of its future, but we will be building on the heritage and standards that Olney has passed down over generations...
Our tribute goes to Olney Headwear, its heritage, and staff. Your achievements, and the part you played for Luton will never be forgotten.”
From Olney’s original product, the straw boater - with which they remain synonymous - they went on to diversify into uniforms and hygiene headwear, and latterly soft hat and cap-making. In 2014 they proudly celebrated their centenary, championing UK quality made headwear. Since then they have become known to a new generation of hat-wearers through their production of tweed caps for the BBC hit show ‘Peaky Blinders’.
Top left: 4th generation owners Andrew and David Olney; top right: the Olney team pictured in their centenary year.
Above left: Luton Town FC 1959 FA Cup Final team; above right: a century of hat-making at Olney Headwear, Luton.
Photos courtesy of Olney Headwear Ltd.
Further Information
Roberto Perrone, BBC Three Counties Radio - interview with Guild member Veronica Main (at 0.48mins) and with Mavi Tzaig from The Panama Hat Co (at 3.38mins) available until 17th January 2021
‘Luton hatmaking facing crisis with the closure of ‘Peaky Blinders’ company’ Daniel Carpenter, Heritage Crafts Association
London Hat Week Exhibition: Presenting our Award Winners
We are delighted to present the winners of our inaugural London Hat Week Exhibition Awards:
Andrea Suto (Hats by Annity) from Hungary - winner of the Technical Award, judged by Guild member Philip Treacy OBE
Federica Moretti (federiKA fabbriKAidee) from Italy - winner of the Creativity Award, judged by Guild member Carole Denford
Karen Geraghty (Mind Your Bonce Millinery) from UK - winner of the Wearability Award, judged by Guild member Rachel Richardson
Congratulations to all of the milliners who participated in this year’s exhibition.
Read more about our three winners here.
Thank you to X Terrace - Monique Lee and her team - for hosting our awards, and for presenting such an outstanding display of hats from every corner of the world.
The winning hats, from left: ‘Mahina’ by Karen Geraghty; ‘Jellyfish’ by Federica Moretti; ‘Explosion’ by Andrea Suto
Guild member Philip Treacy OBE taking time to judge the Technical Award
Exhibition Curator Monique Lee with Guild member Rachel Richardson
All photos by Carole Denford
FURTHER READING
‘The London Hat Week Static Show’ Carole Denford, Fashion Hat
London Hat Week Exhibition: British Hat Guild Awards
As part of the 5th London Hat Week Exhibition ‘To The Future and Back’, the British Hat Guild are proud to present three awards:
Creativity - the best creative interpretation of the theme, judged by Guild member Carole Denford.
Technique - focusing on the most interesting use of materials, judged by Guild member Philip Treacy OBE.
Wearability - the best commercial design that would enhance our retail sector, judged by Guild member Rachel Richardson.
The winner of each award will receive a certificate from The British Hat Guild, a cheque for £100, and coverage of their work on our website.
The judging will take place on Wednesday 7th October, 4.00 - 5.00pm. The press will then be invited in to take photographs. The three hats selected for awards will be given a ‘Congratulatory Notice’, stating which award they have won, prior to the opening of the exhibition the following day.
The exhibition is presented by X Terrace and organised by Monique Lee.
8th – 11th October 2020
The Black Swan Studios, 203 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XW
Full details can be found on the London Hat Week schedule.
British Hat Guild members respond to the NHS emergency
Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, members of the British Hat Guild have been involved in many aspects of the national effort to provide much-needed PPE for the NHS.
Whether contributing to the mighty Visor Army across London or the vast network of Scrub Hubs nationally, or collaborating with fellow creatives and neighbours to set up their own local initiatives, guild members have adapted their workspaces and donated their considerable skills to this most pressing need.
Further Reading
‘Don’t dismiss the fashion industry…’ Sarah Mower, Grazia Magazine
‘The British Hat Guild clear the decks for the NHS’ Carole Denford, Fashion Hat
‘Working better together’ Selina Horshi, for JCI Derry
‘Unprecedented times’ Edwina Ibbotson, for Art Workers Guild
‘A chain of goodness’ Clara Breen, Gowns for NHS
‘Making bags and masks for the NHS’ Judy Bentinck, for Worshipful Company of Feltmakers