I am so happy to have a hat in this upcoming exhibition in Luton opening 22.04.23

The Culture Trust Luton present Hats Made Me, a major exhibition that explores the global significance of hats and headwear. The exhibition, staged at Stockwood Discovery Centre, features objects from the world’s most celebrated fashion and performance milliners as well as 400 years of hats from the collection.

Featuring more than 200 objects, the exhibition includes a red visor design chosen by Beyoncé for her Cuff It video, a bridal hat worn by Cara Delevingne in Vogue, Michael Keaton’s cowl from Batman, a teal velvet hat donned by Kate Sharma in the Netflix hit show Bridgerton, 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.

Hats Made Me presents iconic headpieces that transport the wearer into an instantly recognisable character. From Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor Who hat, to Cate Blanchett’s headpiece for her Oscar-nominated role playing the monarch in Elizabeth: The Golden Agemade by Stephen Jones OBE, to a Stormtrooper helmet from Return of the Jedi, the exhibition presents hats and headwear that have featured in global film and cinema.

Hats Made Me also represents Luton’s own social and cultural heritage, with a stunning array of headpieces including a durag, an Irish Catholic communion veil, silk and gold Ghanaian headdresses, Muslim prayer caps and Sikh turbans. Also on display is a Miss Vauxhall Tiara worn by the winner of a beauty pageant sponsored by Vauxhall Motors – an object that unites the hat and motoring industries that built Luton.

This is a rare chance to see hats that defined an era, headwear that made a scene, and your favourite pop culture items from stage and screen.

I am so delighted to announce I have been awarded a QEST Scholarship for Millinery. I am honoured to be part of the incredible group of talented craftspeople.

Firstly I will be learning historical and theatrical hat making with the renowned Sophie Lambe @reel.millinery who has made some of my favourite hats in film, including several for the recent @emmafilm directed by @autumndewilde 

Secondly, with the unbelievably talented @annetomlinflowers , I will be learning several flower making skills (that’s right she made the flowers in the first picture!) both at @westdeancollege and one to one.

And finally with master milliner @ianbennettmillinery I will learn his incredible skills and techniques with feathers, plus how to make my own blocks, from cardboard and carving styrofoam! 

Along with my fellow 2022 Scholars I will also embark on the incredible mentoring scheme run by @cockpitstudios which will be invaluable, I really cannot wait! 

She has arrived! The amazing Josephine Baker at Berlin’s fantastic Madame Tussaud’s! This was a dream costume project, I loved every minute of this make, I had never made anything like this before and am so thrilled with the results.

^{Copyright Merlin Magic Making 2022}

Here is an example of the endless possibilities available when it comes to making hats when you let your creativity flow.

For these hats firstly I made the hat block which is the base shape all these hats are formed on. I did this by adjusting a sharp brim block which I then made into this Ascot style dish shape.

From there I created these four hats over the time I was working at John Boyds. As you can see they are all very different, using a variety of materials, colour combinations and trimmings, and I’m sure there are hundreds more styles waiting to be made!