I have worked professionally as a theatrical milliner/costume prop maker in-house and freelance for the past twenty seven years collaborating with many wonderful, award winning costume designers such as COLIN RICHMOND, MIKE BRITTON, GABRIELLE DALTON, ROB JONES, SIMON HIGLETT, FRANCIS O'CONNOR, PAUL WILLS, PETER MACKINTOSH and many more. Some of the companies I have worked for include ITV, LEEDS PLAYHOUSE, OPERA NORTH, LEEDS CITY VARIETIES, TUTTI FRUTTI, ZUOZ GLOBE ZURICH, BIRMINGHAM REPORTARY THEATRE, MANCHESTER ROYAL EXCHANGE, SHEFFIELD CRUCIBLE, LEICESTER CURVE THEATRE, ENGLISH HERITAGE, NATIONAL CIRCUS FESTIVAL, LEEDS YEAR OF CULTURE 2023 and BALLY WIRE MEDIA and many more.

 

I was an Associate Lecturer teaching BA Electives Millinery at Leeds College of Art for three years. I have also spent some years teaching both millinery and costume special effects at The Northern College of Costume and Hull College.

 

As a theatrical milliner I can be creating anything from period hats to fantasy headdresses. My costume prop work ranges from special effects such as blood and dirt on costumes, dyeing fabrics and shoes through to making monkey wings and everything weird and wonderful in between! Over the years I have gained many skills and can work with many different materials such as leather, thermoplastics, wire, plastazote, buckram, felt, straw, sinamay and crin. In addition I can cut flat patterns, bead, embroider, applique and dye fabrics.

 

Every project starts with a design meeting or emails/phone calls with a designer/costume supervisor to discuss ideas. It is then my job to bring those ideas to life - some projects are more challenging than others but I enjoy the creative process of bringing a drawing to life and of course the end result when it is being worn on stage. Below are just a small selection of my theatrical millinery and costume prop work over the years for theatre and opera.