Thirteen of the UK’s best emerging millinery talents, showcased a new collection of 30 couture fashion hats at a Paris style fashion show hosted at St. Mary’s Church in Stockport Market Place on 17th May, followed by an exhibition at the Hat Works Museum. Participating milliners were selected through open competition to take part in a professional development programme resulting in the creation of two new designer collections of hats.
Of the 13 milliners selected, five are HNC Millinery Alumni from Leeds College of Art; Rhian Kempadoo, Marie Thornton, Sue Wood, Margaret Woodliff-Wright, Marie Halewood, Kate Jones, along with College tutor Sue Carter.
Hat by Kate Jones, modelled on the catwalk
An audience of 500 people enjoyed a fabulous cutting edge fashion spectacle which could have rivalled the runways of London, Milan and Paris. People were blown away with the quality the designs and the innovative dressing of the church where the catwalk took place.
Participating milliner and alumna, Margaret Woodliff-Wright added: “’Making Headway’ provided a unique opportunity to combine creative and professional experiences. The programme has been instrumental in creating a melting pot of ideas and opportunities, developing, deepening and enhancing our millinery expertise”.
All the Milliners involved the project
For those not able to catch the catwalk shows, the hats will be shown in Making Headway - The Exhibition which opens at Stockport Council’s Hat Works from 24th May. For the first time all the hats on show are for sale providing visitors with a unique opportunity to purchase a handcrafted hat by an emerging millinery talent.
Above hat by Marie Thornton
Photographs by Gareth Lowe, Images courtesy of Stockport Council.