Millinery Workshops was created by Tracy Chaplin in 2012 to help further the careers of milliners from all over the world. Tracy’s background is as a Couture Milliner and fashion designer. Her career started in the late 1980’s working from her own Hat Shop in London.
​
Tracy has designed collections for House of Fraser, small boutiques and private clients including actresses and musicians. She is an award winning milliner amongst other awards,Tracy has been a major prize winner on 5 separate occasions at the world renowned Estivale du Chapeau in Caussade.
​
In 2015, Tracy was honoured to be included as one of the International Guest teachers at Hats off to Brisbane. Tracy delivered the keynote speech at the festival and left Australia having made many new friends and with a strong connection to the vibrant millinery culture in the country.
​
Tracy has also visited Artipistilos close to Madrid where she has enjoyed being a guest teacher for the ever enthusiastic Spanish milliners.
​
As well as delivering her own workshops, Tracy has hosted a number of guest tutors both in France and from her London base. Notable teachers who have delivered workshops for Millinery Workshops have included Catherine Ellen and Carole Maher from Australia, and Eugenie Van Oirschott from Holland.
​
In the early 2000’s Tracy spent 3 years under the tutelage of Master Milliner, Rose Cory MBE. Rose was milliner to the late Queen Mother and a Royal Warrant holder. Rose Cory was one of the most highly respected millinery teachers before her retirement in 2015 and taught many of today’s top milliners as well as many well-regarded teachers. Rose was described in Vogue as “the milliner’s milliner.” Her attention to detail and approach to teaching made a profound impression on Tracy and she uses much of what she learnt from Rose as inspiration for her teaching.
​
Tracy moved to a small village in rural France with Chris,her husband, in 2008. Drawing inspiration from her beautiful surroundings, she was keen to share her new found love of France with others and decided to set up Millinery Workshops so she could welcome students from all over the world to learn new millinery skills and enjoy the beauty of the French countryside.
​
In the latter part of 2020, Tracy was involved in London Hat Week and hosted her own workshops as well as hosting Marianne Jongkind from Holland. Tracy also offers online tutorials via zoom and video tutorials.
​
Tracy is a Freeman of the City of London and is on the Livery of the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers. She is also a founding member of the British Millinery Association (BMA).