The Season Hats
‘Pleat.xxv’
Sculptural headpiece, made from pleated tulle. I like to make pieces that do not rely on wire or stiffened bases for support, and enjoy creating three dimensional forms from flat materials without the use of blocks. The pleating process provides additional structure to the tulle, allowing the material to support itself. Though the paper mould is rigid and geometric, the movement and transparency of the tulle softens the piece visually.
Price: £1200.
“The piece uses traditional pleating techniques – it is hand pleated using a card mould before being steam set. The card is scored by hand in order to allow it to be folded into the precise pattern – this structure is unique to the piece and the process of creating the moulds by hand allows the form to be defined. Fabric pleating is recorded as critically endangered by Heritage Crafts.”
Materials and Techniques
Tulle, hand pleating.
Millinery Heritage
“My first headpieces were made for friends to wear to balls while at Cambridge University. After graduating, I worked as an accountant and took millinery short courses at London College of Fashion in my free time. I left accountancy to study at Kensington and Chelsea College, before my MA at the Royal College of Art.
I’m lucky to have learned from many great milliners through tutoring, mentorship and work – Kirsten Scott and Ian Bennett at KCC, Noel Stewart, Flora McLean and Justin Smith at the RCA, Misa Harada, Rachel Trevor-Morgan and Stephen Jones. My understanding of technique, and sensibility within hat making is informed by these designers and makers. To me, this understanding represents the heritage of millinery, with generations of learning passed through these amazing milliners in turn from industry legends including Graham Smith, Shirley Hex and Marie O’Regan.”
About The Season Hats
I hold an MA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University, which is the basis for my scientific and engineered approach to construction. I trained in traditional technique under couture milliner Rachel Trevor-Morgan. During my MA in Fashion Womenswear (Millinery), from the Royal College of Art, I refined my approach to design, how I work with materials, and defined my softly geometric aesthetic.
Launched in 2014, The Season Hats was selected by the British Fashion Council to exhibit at London Fashion Week as part of BFC NEWGEN Accessories, having previously shown at LFW through the BFC/Stephen Jones OBE Headonism initiative. Work has been featured in publications including British Vogue, Tatler, the Irish Independent and the Irish Times.