Millinery designer Laura Del Villaggio has taught hat making classes for over ten years and especially enjoys sharing the many “tricks of the trade” such as how to properly drape a veil or create a perfectly rolled brim edge. In teaching couture millinery, Laura preserves traditions and ensures a high standard of craftsmanship continues as new milliners join the industry.

Course Description:

This course provides an introduction to one of the most popular millinery materials: sinamay. Students will design and complete 3 small fascinators and 1 veil in this class, and will learn the skills necessary to make their own sinamay accessories for occasion wear.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Work with machine-woven sinamay straw to create trims and fascinator bases

• Choose and create appropriate attachments for fascinators

• Drape and shape millinery veiling

• Manipulate feathers for unique trims

Rational:

A immersive 5-day course is a really unique and valuable opportunity for Austin students as well as those who may want to fly in specifically for the course. This immersive introduction to millinery will provide instruction on several popular fascinator styles. Students will leave with the skills to make small millinery accessories for the fashion or bridal customer.

The Accessories market in the United States is strong and there are certainly job opportunities. Retail sales for 2016 totaled $39.8 billion. Headwear represents only $300 million of this total but the category has been up-trending for several years and projections are positive at both mass and luxury price points.

*Accessories Magazine 2016 Census Report

*5-day course (9am-to-4pm: 6 hours per day)

*Break time 12pm-to-1pm