Aoife Kirwan studied fashion design in Dublin before attending London College of Fashion to study millinery as well as taking private tuition with couturier and milliner Thomas von Nordheim before setting up her business designing and handcrafting hats in the Rep. of Ireland where she is now based. Aoife is a proud member of the Council of Irish Fashion Designers and the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland.
Private tuiton is offered on a one-to-one basis through a range of courses held in the studio in Portlaoise Co. Laois tailored to your needs and experience level.
Courses currently on offer include
Felt, Straw & Sinamay Course : Learn how to work the 3 main millinery materials; fur felt, parasisal straw & sinamay from raw materials to 3 professionally finished pieces using traditional millinery techniques and professional equipment.
Advanced Windowpane Sinamay Weekend Course: Learn the couture technique of working with windowpane sinamay to create an invisible edged brim and how to attach it to a plain sinamay crown which you will also block.
Advanced 3D Percher Weekend Course : Learn how create a 3D percher using plain sinamay and how to create the wire structure that attaches it to the head to make it appear as if its floating.
Silk Roses & Sinamay Weekend Course: Learn how to create beautiful silk roses using traditional French flower making techniques. Learn how to block, stiffen, wire and finish a sinamay base to attach your beautiful roses to.
To Book A Course or request more information: Email: AoifeKirwanMillinery@yahoo.ie / Tel: 00353(0)877563601