Interested in learning the industry secrets of the world’s top milliners? Want to meet like-minded milliners, network, and make new friends? How about perusing a marketplace where you can meet the vendors, and see and feel materials instead of blindly buying online? You can do all of this and more – at the Millinery Meet-Up 2024. FATR is delighted to be a proud sponsor of this year’s event, a five-day
The event is in its 10th year and is led by fellow milliners Andrea Blohm and Patrycja Grzesznik, who wanted to share their love of hats, the quest for learning, and joy in meeting new friends in the industry. 
Exclusive classes will be taught by six internationally recognized instructors, coming from USA, the UK, Australia, and Spain, in addition to a fabulous marketplace. Let’s take a sneak peek at what you will see.
Milliner to the royals and stars, Jane Taylor of the UK, will be teaching the same couture techniques she uses on hats she has created for many famous heads from Beyoncé to Catherine, Princess of Wales. Biliana Borissova of Spain, milliner of the Loewe brand, recently featured in “Cristobal” movie, will demonstrate how to hand-craft leather flowers and leaves to adorn your hats, in addition to teaching how to hand embroider lace to truly make your hats one of a kind. Historical milliner and costume designer for Disney, Mela Hoty-Heydon will hold classes on the invaluable craft of traditional millinery and interpretation of historical styles in modern materials. Award winner, Laura Del Villagio of the USA, will share her 30 years of experience in fashion history, design, and construction through fabric manipulation classes and will show you how to mix dye baths and hand dye parasisal, giving you the knowledge to enable custom dying to match a customer’s dress. Edwina Ibbotson, of the UK, who has created hats for the winners of the best dressed at every major racing event in the world, will be instructing classes that reflect her love of drama – large hand-dyed feathers, wide brims, and timeless elegance. The Australian Ballet and Melbourne Theatre Company milliner, Phillip Rhodes, trained through traditional workroom techniques, will share his approach to impeccable finishes in a perfect bow and will introduce students to new and inventive ways to lift humble materials to create stand-out embellishments. This is just a small sample of the many classes offered at Millinery Meet Up.
Millinery Meet Up will also feature international millinery suppliers at the Millinery Marketplace! Not only will you be able to browse an endless supply of unique and exquisite quality materials, but you can also speak with the vendors and experts to discuss the best option for your designs. Vendors include major millinery supply houses: B Unique Millinery (Diamond Sponsor) and Judith M Millinery Supply House (Emerald Sponsor).hat block makers: Hat Block Australia (Emerald Sponsor) and vintage hat blocks re-seller Lisa Farrell, and hand-made flowers manufacturer M&S Schmalberg (Gold sponsor);
Please join me at the Millinery Meet-Up 2024, September 21st-26th. I promise you this event will not disappoint. You will come away with a lifetime of memories, new connections, some fantastic supplies, and most importantly – you will learn more in 5 days than in years of trying to self-teach.