Mission
The Millinery Artisan Guild is dedicated to cooperatively preserving and promoting the craft and techniques of millinery.
Goals
To stimulate the sharing of resources, knowledge, education, experience and opportunities.
To raise the profile of millinery in the commercial and art worlds by cultivating a better understanding
and appreciation of its art and craft.
To support our members, industry suppliers and allied artisans, such as block makers, theater artists and
historical reconstructionists.
About Us
We are a group of milliners (professional, semi professional, and students) representing many millinery and hat disciplines-fashion, theater, felters and fiber artists.
This group began loosely in Seattle in the late 80s and created a collaborative environment for group exhibits and sales events. The deYoung Museum contacted us after an unusually successful show titled "A Feast Of Hats" in which the hats were food-inspired. The deYoung was mounting an exhibit of food-inspired art, including wearable fashion and accessories and wanted to use many of the hats from our show. To our great delight, the museum then purchased the pieces for their permanent collection.
When some of the original founding members moved, the bonds we'd created were strong enough that the organization has extended itself geographically and in numbers. We are currently a group of 70 people under this millinery umbrella, the majority in the coast cities from Seattle down to LA, but a handful across the country as we expand our community. We have found that by working cooperatively, opportunities have expanded in a way we wouldn't have expected if we merely competed, and so we've worked to create community as well as hats.
The Millinery Artisan Guild looks forward to expanding.