INTERVIEW
W. Wright was founded in 1890 by Walter and Minnie Wright. It became a limited company, W. Wright and Son Ltd., in the 1930s. Dennis Wright, a son of the founders, had a brother named Philip who
owned another company called Walter Wright Ltd. (which still exists). This often caused some confusion.
William Horsman as Master of the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers
Page from a publication from the Millinery Trades’ Benevolent Association (MTBA) in 1993 shows the names of about 25 hat- related companies who were all located in Luton back then
had started some years earlier from the merger of the London Designers Guild and the South of England Hat Manufacturers Federation, represented a broad range of industry participants from designers to manufacturers. Under William’s guidance, which started in 1980, the guild focused on raising the profile of the hat, media engagement, and fashion collaborations. “The guild worked closely with government bodies, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the British Export Council, advocating for its members’ interests both domestically and abroad. Other Initiatives included producing vital industry resources like shade and colour cards, participating in the government’s wages council to ensure fair pay, and organising major fashion events that drew
widespread attention and sponsorship. A crowning achievement was the launch of the ‘Year of the Hat’ in 1994, a campaign designed to boost hat sales and visibility, symbolised by a logo that encapsulated the guild’s mission: ‘wHATever the occasion’.” During his time at the guild,
William always felt very supported by Princess Diana. Her affinity for hats had a big influence in popularising headwear and supporting the industry, and she was therefore nicknamed by William the ‘patron saint of millinery’. Following his tenure as chairman of the guild, in 2001 William became Master of the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers, one of the City of London’s trade associations. The company is renowned among milliners for its annual hat design award, a competition William initiated in 1990 alongside Frederick Fox. Since 2012, Rachel Trevor-Morgan has been tasked with organising the event, though William still contributes his expertise as a judge.
Design made at college
20 the hat magazine | 101 Challenging times
In the meantime, everything was progressing smoothly at W. Wright &
Son until the company encountered a significant challenge posed by Luton Council’s urban development plans in the mid-1980s. The council decided to compulsorily acquire the factory’s building for a new ring road – a key component of a broader urban redevelopment project that included constructing a new shopping centre. It marked a pivotal moment for both the factory and the wider local hat-making community. “Back in those days, Luton’s hat factories dispatched enormous quantities of hats to major companies every week,” William says. “Containers full of hats were regularly sent to the States, and customers from all over Europe would visit Luton. The industry was thriving, and Luton was a bustling market town with constant activity. The introduction of the new road and shopping centre at the heart of the town changed everything.” Frustratingly, the planned road,
Hucklesby Way (named after a historical hat manufacturer) never came to fruition near William’s original site. With no simpler solution available at the time, in 1987 William undertook an ambitious project: constructing a new factory at an alternative location. “Transitioning
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
