Vintage Heaven
Emma Fozard
Last Sunday I was kindly asked to take part in a promotion of Hat Works Millinery courses at Vintage Village, a monthly event in Stockport's historic market hall.
This month the theme was a Mad Hatter's Fair so there was plenty of vintage millinery on show as well as more contemporary pieces by myself and Lyndsay Cooper of Pyewacket millinery.
Hats and headbands by Emma Fozard Millinery
Lyndsay Cooper centre with her work modelled and on display
There's no town more fitting for a hatter's fair, what with Stockport's millinery heritage and the highlight of my day was talking to a woman whose first job at the age of 15 was at Christy's Hat makers on Hillgate. She sewed bows onto headfittings for £1.50 a week which wouldn't get you much of a Christy's hat now!
Christy & Co Ltd Christys' is the only company in the world still making high quality top hats and bowlers in the traditional way, using hatting skills established over 200 years ago and keeping a valuable British industry very much alive.
My studio colleague Bronwen Simpson is responsible for organising the Millinery courses at Hat Works and is the driving force behind them; there is a comprehensive programme on offer that runs until the Summer; Stockport Council - Millinery Courses at Hat Works
Bronwen(right) judged the competition for Best Vintage hat and outfit.