Chanel, The King’s Foundation launch specialist millinery fellowship with Le19M

Chanel and The King’s Foundation have announced the launch of a new Millinery Fellowship designed to cultivate the next generation of specialist hat-makers.

The 35-week residential program will take place at the Chanel Metiers d’Art Training Atelier at Highgrove, and The King’s Foundation at Trinity Buoy Wharf in London. Students will also spend time at Maison Michel in Paris.

The fellowship, launching this Fall, will provide an intensive educational journey into the art and craft of millinery, blending traditional skills with contemporary design. The programme will be delivered by skilled artisans and tutors, with mentorship and guidance given by Priscilla Royer, the artistic director of Maison Michel.

The Millinery Fellowship builds on the success of the Metiers d’Art Embroidery Fellowship, which launched in January 2023. 

“We are delighted to continue our work with Chanel and le19M on this exciting new programme. The Millinery Fellowship will be a much-needed postgraduate-level programme in the UK to prepare students to enter the workplace with the right skills, design confidence and industry insight,” said Daniel McAuliffe, education director at The King’s Foundation.

Participants will receive hands-on training in various techniques, including blocking, felt shaping, dyeing, feather and flower making, and other couture skills inspired by the exquisite gardens of Highgrove.

“We were delighted to welcome Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Le 19M during the State Visit to France last September and we look forward to continuing our educational partnership with The King’s Foundation,” added Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel SAS and president of le19M. 

“Our longstanding vision has been to nurture and develop the specialist skills of the Métiers d’art in order to recruit, train and transmit their savoir-faire to the next generation. Initiatives like this fellowship programme are a way to highlight today’s relevance of these traditional métiers, ensuring they have a legitimate place in the creation of tomorrow. It also reaffirms our commitment to artisan skills, innovation, and sustainable development.”