REPLAY: In Conversation with Rachel Richardson, Misa Harada, Victoria Grant, Noel Stewart, Sean Barrett and Alva Wilson on their different worlds of professional hat making (48-Hour On Demand Access)

London Hat Week and The British Hat Guild have come together under the umbrella principles of education, inspiration, acknowledgment and celebration of the great British millinery tradition to bring you this series of online talks by members of The Guild, hosted and moderated by LHW.

The first online talk in this special new series, In conversation with Rachel Richardson, Misa Harada, Victoria Grant, Noel Stewart, Sean Barrett and Alva Wilson on their different worlds of professional hat making, took place on 1 July 2021 in front of a live, online audience. 

On average, millinery businesses work across three different categories from private commissions to wholesale [Source: BHG x LHW 2021 Industry Survey].

‘What kind of millinery business do you want to have?’ was the subject of this informative talk and our panel discussed some of the different professional pathways open to milliners.

Alva Wilson on Menswear

Award-winning milliner and visual artist, Alva Wilson’s premier collection was purchased by The Hat Shop in Covent Garden, London, and this became his springboard to sell to other shops in the UK and around the world, including Paris, Japan and the USA. In 2017 he opened ‘The Gallery’ – interactive, garden pop-up-shop fusing millinery, fashion and conceptual art. Continuing to challenge traditional millinery techniques through experimentation, Alva uses unconventional, recyclable materials to create dramatic, attention-grabbing headwear and is currently working on a menswear ceremonial hats collection.

Misa Harada on Making for Wholesale

Misa Harada launched her own label at Paris Fashion Week in 1998 after four years designing for Royal-appointed milliner Frederick Fox. She has seen regular coverage in British and German Vogue and designed bespoke headpieces for celebrities such as Janet Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Mickey Rourke, and Jennifer Aniston. Misa Harada’s modern and compelling millinery collections are sold in over 120 retail outlets across fifteen countries.

Noel Stewart on Making for Designers & Catwalk

Since establishing his label Noel Stewart has created hats for leading fashion designers such as Mulberry, Roland Mouret, Diesel, Roksanda, Erdem, Hussein Chalayan, Richard Nicoll, Jaeger, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Sibling, Viktor & Rolf, Gareth Pugh, House of Holland, Marta Jakubowski, Charles Jeffrey, JW Anderson, Hermes, Oscar de la Renta, Self-Portrait, Givenchy Haute Couture and Valentino. His continuing work with such designers reflects the relevance of his role in contemporary fashion.

Rachel Richardson on Designing for Trade/Factory Production

Rachel Richardson has over 15 years in the industry and has worked for many different suppliers, factories, brands and retailers including sourcing materials and designing for Marks and Spencer, Accessorize, Debenhams and Topshop. Working with numerous Eastern factories has given Rachel unprecedented knowledge of China’s hat industry.

Sean Barrett on Making for Film & Theatre

Sean Barrett’s theatre highlights include My Fair Lady (Cam Mac), A Little Night Music, Anything Goes, Follies (National Theatre), Wicked and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to name a few. On screen, Sean has worked for designer Colleen Atwood on a number of award-winning movies including Sweeney Todd, Snow White and the Huntsman, Nine, Alice In Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking Glass. For designer Sandy Powell on Interview With a Vampire, Shakespeare In Love, Mary Poppins Returns and The Favourite. On television, Sean has created pieces for Helen Mirren’s Elizabeth I and every series of Downton Abbey. He has also worked extensively on the series Gentleman Jack and The Crown.

Victoria Grant on Working with Celebrities

Victoria Grant’s exclusive clients include Madonna, Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman and Cara Delevingne to name a few and her works are regularly featured in editorials shot by Annie Liebovitz, Nick Knight and featured within Vogue, Tatler Harper’s Bazaar and the world’s leading editorials.

EVENT DETAILS

Buying a ticket gives you 48-hour access to watch the recording of this talk.

Duration: 1.5 hours

Original Event Date: 1 July 2021

Location: Online

When you purchase a ticket, you will be sent a unique link to watch this pre-recorded talk online. You will have access to the recording for 48 hours.