In the 1930s, Luton produced as many as 70 million hats per year.

Now the traditional craft of hat manufacture, preserved for over 200 years, is in a critical position.

After the World Wars, the fashion for hats rapidly declined, and so did the hat industry in Luton.

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I first developed my interest in millinery through considering religious head coverings, drawing on my personal experience growing up attending churches where women cover their heads as a sign of respect.

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The hat-industry was dominated by women - most of the workers in the Luton hat industry were women.
Luton was known as the town where the women earned more than the men.

The moulded pieces in this collection not only preserve the beauty of tradition and craft, but are valuable

contemporary artefacts to be worn and engaged with to draw attention to this beautiful sculpting technique and the people who practise it.