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Heads Up Symposium organisers Sophie Lambe, Bee Smith, Giulia Mio and Jenny Roberts
London Craft Week
11–17 May, 2026 Text and photos by Elly Stemerdink
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As part of this year’s London Craft Week, the British Hat Guild organised a two-day symposium dedicated to Britain’s endangered hat-making heritage. Held under the title Heads Up, the event brought together milliners, hatters, block makers, historians, educators, suppliers, and students for a programme examining both the cultural significance and the fragile future of traditional hat-making skills. With around 280 attendees over the two days, including students from The King’s Foundation, Morley College London, and Wimbledon College, the symposium reflected the growing interest in heritage craft and the increasingly urgent discussions surrounding its preservation.
The opening presentations by milliner Dillon Wallwork, head of the British Hat Guild’s Heritage Committee, and Mary Lewis, Head of Craft Sustainability at Heritage Crafts, set the tone for the symposium. Both speakers emphasised that heritage craft should not be viewed purely as something belonging to the past, but as a living practice that must continue to evolve if it is to survive. Lewis described heritage as ‘future- facing’, focusing on the continuation of skills rather than simply
preserving historical objects. She stressed that today’s makers are creating the heritage of tomorrow – a point that resonated throughout the event. She also explained that the Red List of Endangered Crafts now comprises 285 crafts, with 72 classified as particularly endangered, several of which are directly connected to the hat making industry. Wallwork highlighted the
dramatic changes within the British hat trade over recent decades. Large workrooms
Masterclass by Odette and Nora
Jo Willis demonstrating straw plaiting techniques
14 | the hat magazine #110
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