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Hat Works appears regularly in magazines and newspapers - here are some of the clips.
2010 Press Relreases
15 June 2010
DECADE PARADE GOES ON SHOW AT HAT WORKS
Stockport’s Hat Works, the UK’s only museum dedicated to the hatting industry, opened its latest exhibition entitled Decade Parade: Small Hats Big Look last weekend.
2010 is Hat Works’ 10th birthday and to celebrate the museum is showcasing this special exhibition featuring the very best entries from its international miniature millinery competition launched in honour of this landmark birthday.
Professional and amateur hat makers were asked to seek inspiration from their local market and create a small hat with a big look. The theme was chosen for the competition as 2010 is also the 750th anniversary of the granting of Stockport’s Market Charter.
Some hat makers were inspired by one particular type of stall, others chose their local market, or thought of markets in general. The results are astonishing; this is contemporary millinery at its finest.
Amongst the hats on display you will be able to see the two winning entries:
- The professional competition was won by Molly Bunce for her entry entitled Caterpillar Heaven. It impressed the judges with its great use of colour: the bright green of the Romanesco broccoli contrasts with the black base, purple quill and witty orange caterpillar. The beautiful broccoli is shaped velvet and the netting is real fruit-bag netting.
- The amateur competition was won by Kate Scott for her entry What a Load of Tripe. The judges said that she had taken what might seem an unprepossessing subject and made a very beautiful hat. It is tripe, but made of tiny cups of felt. The hat is lined with a photograph of Laura’s grandparents – tripe reminds her of her grandfather, who used to eat it with vinegar. The tiny clear brown glass beads which are in sprays above the hat and in the felt cups represent vinegar – a touch which very much appealed to the judges.
Councillor John Smith, Executive Member for Leisure, said: “I would encourage anyone with an interest in contemporary design and hats to go and visit this astonishing exhibition. The creativity and ingenuity of the hat makers is sure to impress visitors and the exhibition has been a very fitting way to mark Hat Works 10th birthday.”
Alongside the exhibition the museum is running a series of workshops aimed at anyone who is interested in acquiring hat making skills of their own. Young people can sign up for the ‘Eat My Hat’ workshops on 12th and 13th August to create a hat good enough to eat. Adults can join Jane McDonalds two day Beret workshop on the 25th and 26th September. Finally on the 9th October hatting experts will teach basic hat construction techniques.
Decade Parade will be showing at Hat Works until 28th November. Admission to the exhibition is FREE.
22 March 2010
RECYCLING IS HOT AT HAT WORKS
The latest ‘What’s Hot’ exhibition at Hat Works in Stockport features a collection of headpieces by Jane Fryers the innovative milliner and recycler.
Jane Fryers is best known for making hats from recycled materials. Her customers bring her an item of loved but un-wearable clothing and she transforms it into a high quality, completely unique piece of headwear.
Hat Works will be exhibiting the very best of Fryers latest work, showing hats made from an exciting selection of weird and wonderful recycled materials ranging from fish leather to 35mm film.
Fryers trained at the London College of Fashion with the late Queen Mother's milliner, Rose Cory. In 2004 she was a finalist in the HAT Magazine’s Designer of the Year competition and in 2005 Jane Fryers won a Queen Elizabeth Scholarship. This Scholarship enabled her to take a series of intensive courses in traditional millinery skills at Kensington & Chelsea College and to continue her studies with Rose Cory.
Fryers has also been awarded second prize in the Feltmakers Design Competition and first prize in the Italian Cappelli nel Mondo. Both the prizes in these prestigious competitions were awarded for hats that were part of her Rechauffé Collection – a line consisting solely of hats made from recycled materials.
Councillor John Smith, Executive Member for Leisure, said: “Stockport Council is committed to being a leading green authority and fully supports all forms of recycling. Making beautiful hats out from recycled materials is a very innovative way to reuse, reduce and recycle. I would encourage people to come along to this fascinating exhibition.”
‘What’s Hot’ will run alongside the ‘Treasure from Trash’ exhibition which is currently showing at Hat Works and Stockport Story Museum. The theme of ‘Treasure from Trash’ is to celebrate recycling from around the globe. Both exhibitions will be showing until 6th June. Admission is free.”
Both museums are open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10.00am to 5.00pm, Sunday’s from 11.00am to 5.00pm and closed on Mondays except for bank holidays and school holidays when they are open from 11.00am to 5.00pm.
END
16 March 2010
‘TREASURE FROM TRASH’ EXHIBITION UNVEILED
A new exhibition has been unveiled at Hat Works and Stockport Story Museum entitled ‘Treasure from Trash’.
The exhibition was opened on Tuesday 9th March and is uniquely showing simultaneously across two Stockport museums.
This exhibition showcases contemporary recycled objects sourced from makers around the world. Discarded products and materials have been transformed into imaginative and inventive objects serving everyday needs, from cooking implements through to personal adornment. These objects demonstrate how waste materials can be recycled in an imaginative way to serve very practical purposes.
The exhibition was put together by knowtrash in partnership with the Eden Project. knowtrash is a collection of over 1,000 contemporary recycled artefacts sourced from Africa, Asia and the Americas. The vibrancy of the objects in the displays aim to give pleasure, inspires admiration and a sense of wonder while encouraging people to reconsider what they throw away.
At Hat Works you can see bags, hats, jewellery and other items used for personal adornment. Stockport Story Museum displays more practical objects, such as stoves, lights, kitchen utensils and toys.
‘Treasure from Trash’ has ambitious aims which include:
- To raise awareness of recycling as a positive and contemporary response to the challenges of unsustainable consumption and ever increasing waste.
- To encourage visitors to engage in the debate about possible design solutions that would help minimise energy and material waste.
- To recognise the capacity and skill of marginalised makers in emerging economies and also promote UK makers who are designing and creating with waste materials.
- To highlight the work of Stockport Council and the role it plays as one of the country’s biggest recyclers.
Councillor John Smith, Executive Member for Leisure, said: “This is very important exhibition as it will make people think about what they needlessly throw away. We should all be looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint and I hope that this exhibition will inspire visitors to recycle and reuse even more materials.”
‘Treasure from Trash’ will be on display at Hat Works and Stockport Story Museum until 6th June. Admission is free.
Both museums are open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10.00am to 5.00pm, Sunday’s from 11.00am to 5.00pm and closed on Mondays except for bank holidays and school holidays when they are open from 11.00am to 5.00pm.
END
23 February 2010
STILL TIME TO ENTER DECADE PARADE COMPETITION
In April 2010 Stockport’s Hat Works, the UK’s only museum dedicated to the hatting industry hats and headwear is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
In honour of this landmark birthday the museum has launched a brand new miniature hat competition called ‘Decade Parade - Small Hats Big Look’. Amateur and professional over the age of 16 are invited to take part in this prestigious event.
Entrants are encouraged to seek inspiration for their hat creations at their local market. The theme is all about capturing the essence of a market place as Stockport is also celebrating the 750th anniversary of the town’s Market Charter later this year.
The closing date for entries is Tuesday 23rd March and finalists will be invited to a catwalk fashion show, where their creation will be modelled to a panel of prestigious judges. The winners will be awarded prizes of £250 in holiday vouchers and their hats will be the star attraction of the special birthday exhibition scheduled for summer 2010.
Councillor John Smith, Executive Member for Leisure, said: “Hat Works has gone from strength to strength over the last 10 years. The museum helps bring the town’s history to life through its permanent exhibition and its rolling programme of relevant exhibitions and events. I would encourage people to enter this competition to mark the museum’s landmark birthday.”
END
2009 Press Resleases:
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