Stockport Council’s Hat Works Museum premieres its latest exhibition ‘Making Headway – Bringing Hatting Home’ on Saturday 24th May.
The unique exhibition aims to position Stockport as a centre for contemporary millinery and creativity. The town was once the centre of a thriving hatting industry.
The exhibition has been developed by working with 13 of the UK’s best emerging millinery talents, selected to take part through open competition. The milliners have undertaken a series of millinery master classes and professional development workshops, and given unparalleled access to Stockport’s vast museum collections.
Pictured left:
Bronze by Making Headway milliner Sue Wood
The result is a stunning collection of couture hats inspired by Stockport. This is the first of two new hat collections to be developed for Making Headway, a second Ready To Wear collection will be launched this autumn.
For the first time at Hat Works all the hats in the exhibition will be for sale giving visitors an opportunity to buy a unique, handcrafted couture hat created by an emerging millinery star.
Making Headway Milliner Sue Wood said:
“I am thrilled to have been chosen. It has been an amazing experience having access to the collections at Hat Works and Stockport Museums. My collection is inspired by Stockport-born Fred Perry with a nod to all things tennis, and Fred’s dalliance with Marlene Dietrich fusing what were considered to be working hats with 1930’s glamour. I am delighted that my collection is part of the first ever selling exhibition at Hat Works and very excited to start my next collection”.
Milliner Marie Thornton added:
“The Making Headway project has been an inspirational journey with so much support and encouragement. From workshops to access to amazing pieces of history in the museum collections, it has been inspirational”.
Making Headway is at Hat Works until 24 May 2015. Admission is free.
The museum is open Tue-Sat 10am -5pm, Sun and Bank Holidays 11am -5pm.
For more information phone 0161 474 2399 or visit www.stockport.gov.uk/museums