May 12, 2025 |
This London Craft Week, leave your preconceptions at the cloakroom and hold onto your hats because Beyond the Brim: The Heritage of Hat Making has arrived, and it’s nothing short of headwear heaven.
Opening today at the Bank of England Museum on Bartholomew Lane, this unexpected yet utterly fitting venue sets the stage for a show that celebrates centuries of British craftsmanship. Curated by The British Hat Guild and presented in partnership with The Worshipful Company of Feltmakers, this five-day exhibition brings together more than 50 of the UK’s most esteemed milliners from theatre legends to fashion’s finest. This is a display that tips its own hat to the intricacies of millinery, and to its deft masters – Stephen Jones OBE (who is also The British Hat Guild’s chairman), Lucy Barlow, Philip Treacy, Sophie Lambe and Nikole Tursi to name just a few.
With exhibits ranging from Treacy’s celestial ‘Gilded Star’ headpiece to the now-iconic hat worn by Elphaba in Wicked: Part One – crafted by Oscar-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell in collaboration with Lambe – and certain headgear made specifically for this exhibition, this is a rare chance to get up close and personal with some of millinery’s most magical moments. Expect drama, delight and more than a few hats that seem to defy gravity (and not just because of Wicked).
Every displayed piece tells a story: of heritage, of obsessive technique, of flair. But this showcase goes beyond show-and-tell. Alongside the mind-boggling installations, live demonstrations and daily expert talks offer attendees a deeper look into the world of couture hat making. Whether it’s Lock & Co.’s bowler hat history lesson (“Protection, support and nurture of the craft of hat making and millinery is at the core of what we do, and the foundation of our 350-year heritage” says Ben Dalrymple, managing director of Lock & Co.) or insider tips from milliners to royalty, there’s a richness to the programming that goes – as the exhibition title would suggest – far beyond the brim.
“We want to spark curiosity in how the hats are made and show how traditional millinery methods can be used in a modern way,” says curator and milliner Jenny Roberts. As Jones puts it, the goal is simple: to “inspire a whole new wave of creative talent and mad hatters.” After a matter of moments in this whimsical world of feathers, felt and fantasy, you’ll surely be inclined to agree.
Beyond the Brim: The Heritage of Hat Making runs from today until May 16 at the Bank of England Museum. Exhibition entry and demonstrations are free; expert talks are £10. Discover the programme here.
Photography courtesy of The British Hat Guild.
