INTERVIEW
Right Impression hats by William Horsman
departure he humorously attributes to a misinterpretation of his relaxed demeanour. Immediately after, an opportunity arose with the Bermona hat company, where he spent the next two years. When he left Bermona, Edward Mann immediately asked him back. Upon his return, William became the lead designer for their Luton operation.
Manufacturer
All was going well until a major fire burned down one of the factories, and some business problems began to occur between the three brothers who owned the company. During this tumultuous time, William came across an advertisement from hat manufacturer W. Wright & Son Limited in the local newspaper. They were seeking a manager to lead a new soft hat department. Initially sceptical after visiting the establishment, William decided to remain with Edward Mann. However, his perspective shifted after receiving a phone call from Dennis Wright. “Dennis, long retired, was searching for someone to take over the company his parents had established in 1890. With limited funds to buy the company outright, he offered a working partnership that could eventually lead to ownership, including a lease on the building as part of the agreement. We agreed that the company name would remain unchanged but I developed a new brand name for the business: Right Impression.” The W. Wright & Son factory primarily
used to produce simple felts and straws, catering to independent hat shops across the country, especially in the north of England, Ireland, and parts of Scotland. William set up a soft hat department and managed to bring in a trusted sample machinist from his days
at Edward Mann. “I joined the company in the 1970s. This was during the disco era sparked by the popularity of Saturday Night Fever starring John Travolta. Disco fashion was in vogue, with little satin pillboxes topped with veiling being a popular accessory. Unlike the common method of blocking these hats on a base, I opted for attaching satin to a sponge wadding for the tip and band, so the hats would stand upright without the need for traditional blocking. This method allowed our machinists to produce them quickly and efficiently. I never wanted to be in the one-off business; I find great satisfaction in seeing an order for a thousand of the same design. I have always believed that designing for one means designing for a thousand women.” In his new role,
William leveraged his industry connections to present the company’s new designs to prestigious retailers, including Harrods. He successfully established the brand’s presence on the department store’s ground floor, and later at the more exclusive upper-level departments as well. The expansion was not limited to Harrods, and the company’s designs soon found their way into the inventories of major retailers such as John Lewis, Selfridges, and even British Home Stores, among others.
New talent
Being a designer himself, William was always keen to give young people wanting to start designing the opportunity to do so. Millinery designers
“I have always believed that designing for one means designing for a thousand women”
such as Yvette Jelfs and Nigel Rayment both started their career under his supervision. Moreover, a remark by Alan Couldridge, a tutor in fashion at the Royal College of Art, that there was a gap in millinery education at the RCA, led William to offer an annual sponsorship of £10,000 to revive the millinery department. This initiative not only included educational visits to the W. Wright & Son factory in Luton; it also set the stage for collaborations that bridged the gap between education and industry, exemplified by a project of student designs that were manufactured at the factory in Luton and showcased at Harrods. Among the talents
nurtured during this period was Philip Treacy, a RCA student whose unconventional commitment to millinery caught William’s eye. Recognising his unique talent, William played a role in launching the designer’s career by establishing a joint limited company and setting up a shop.
This venture expanded into a global brand encompassing a wide range of accessories, culminating in the launch of Philip’s first accessory collection at Bergdorf Goodman in New York, along with showcases at other prestigious department stores in Dublin, Paris and Tokyo. As Philip’s focus homed in on hats, William decided to step back, allowing the designer to pursue his passion with his current partner.
Chairman
Besides running the factory, William was also chairman of the then British Hat Guild for two decades. The guild, which
may 2024 | 19
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