EDUCATION
Suzanne Wajer
www.instagram.com/ dessins_par_sw Graduating from the Creative Craftsman in Leather and Textiles course, specialising in millinery, Suzanne comes from a background in fine hand-sewn work learned from her grandmother, who taught her precise, detailed stitching. For her exam collection, she was required to design six hats and produce four, choosing the theme The Twenties: Times of Change. Her pieces ranged from a 1520 Tudor gable hood to an 1820s buckram bonnet covered in silk, a 1920s visca cloche decorated with ribbonwork flowers, and finally a 2020 fedora made from B-grade felts and recycled fabrics. She is allowing her curiosity for techniques and materials to guide her as she begins building her business, Dessins par SW.
Royal College of Art
rca.ac.uk F.A.M.E. (Footwear, Accessories, Millinery, Eyewear) sits within the one-year MA Fashion programme, focusing on leatherwork and the construction of forms for the body and accessories. Students develop blocking, lasting and stiffening skills under milliner Flora McLean, supported by leather technician and bag designer Akiko Ito.
Ji Young Yun
Ji Young's interest in accessories began while preparing for a competition, sparking a conversation with her tutor about the value of play in the creative process and leading her towards a new direction that built on her garment construction skills. Her work is playful and childlike, often using vibrant colour palettes and featuring balloons as a key material. Themes of transformation and identity run throughout her practice, informed by Korean cultural references and personal experiences, including a piece inspired by the traditional paper-folding game ‘Dong Seo Nam Buk’. Looking ahead, she hopes to continue combining fashion, performance and sculptural accessory design, developing headwear not simply as decoration but as a sculptural tool capable of transforming the relationship between body, space and identity.
Stadin Ammattiopisto - Helsinki Vocational College,
Stadin AO
www.stadinao.hel.fi Stadin Ammattiopisto has offered millinery training since 1977, with one- to three-year programmes tailored to students' prior experience. Led by Anu Kaukola, the course teaches students to craft a wide range of headwear, develop product-design skills, build material knowledge, and use digital design tools, supported by client projects and theatrical production work.
august 2026 | 39
Papu Nyström Papu Nyström was drawn to the small details of hat making, encouraged by tutors throughout the course. With an interest in creating unique pieces, Papu has produced a range of small tophats, cocktail hats, and felt designs, and hopes to learn felting to make hats using that technique. Taking inspiration from the natural world, Papu has incorporated real animal bones found in forests, disinfecting and treating them before use. Aware of the challenges of the economic climate and the limited industry roles in Finland, Papu shares, "I would like to work in a theatre, movie production or for some artist where I would be making accessories."
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