When & Where

Quick Facts

  • Availability Yes
  • Course Code C24DSNG02A
  • Suitable For 19 year olds and up are permitted on this course

What you will learn

This two-year part-time programme is for students with good existing millinery skills who wish to pursue a career in millinery. The HNC in Millinery has been training industry-leading milliners for 20 years. Students on this course progress into all areas of millinery – couture fashion millinery, commercial design, theatrical and film millinery – some students have progressed on to MA level courses at leading fashion colleges. The course has close industry links with The British Hat Guild, Fenwick Bond Street, and the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers, all of whom provide career developing support and opportunities for HNC students during the course. Former students are employed by the UK’s leading milliners and have quickly established themselves in their chosen field. The tutors on the HNC course are all professional milliners as well as tutors. They bring a wealth of diversity, skills and ideas to the course, and to the development of different career pathways for each student. The course consists of a series of projects covering different areas of millinery. Students will develop creativity and expand varied technical skills through these projects. 10 units are integrated within several exciting projects, including Felts, Theatrical Millinery, Commercial Millinery, Couture Millinery, Block-Making, and designing and realising a Final Collection. Contextual studies, visual studies and professional practise underpin studio work, alongside tutorials, workshops and lectures.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Develop design process skills including ideas generation, design development, contextual, historical and cultural research
  • Experiment with materials, processes and techniques, and visual communication
  • Understand technical areas of millinery including: theatrical millinery, commercial millinery
  • Realise a fashion collection
  • 5. build on professional practice, branding and portfolio building using illustration, cad, and social media

On successful completion of the course, you will achieve the following qualification: BTEC Higher National Certificate in Fashion and Textiles [EDEXCEL]

Class format and activities

A blend of in college practical activities and workshops supported by online lectures and tutorials via Microsoft Teams. A strong focus on design skills and developing independent working practices is complemented by technical demonstrations, industry visits and presentations. Students benefit from small classes and a high level of contact time with tutors. Assessment Methods: Achievement on the course will be measured by completion of projects and course units. Your progress towards achieving the learning outcomes will be reviewed throughout the course. At the start of the course, you will have an opportunity to discuss these with your tutor and set your own personal targets, linked to the learning outcomes and future goals. Projects are designed to develop a broad and detailed millinery skill base. Each project will focus on a different area of millinery and build familiarity with a different range of materials, skills, and industry knowledge. Assessment will take place at the end of each project, starting with self-assessment, a group crit and discussion, and finally, written feedback and one-to-one tutorial to discuss strong points and areas for development. At the end of the course, exit tutorials will focus on each students’ development over the course, and how each student can best be supported as they progress. Tuesday classes will be held online 6-8pm. On site and in the studio on Thursdays 10 – 5pm starting on Thursday 19th September 2024.

Entry requirements

All students are required to attend an interview with a portfolio of creative work. Learners should have previous millinery experience although applicants with a variety of other Art and Design skills will be considered. It is not necessary to have completed a wide range of courses, but experience with foundation millinery skills and traditional materials and processes is a must.

What you need to know before you enrol

The course has a strong focus on design skills and developing independent working practices, and as such is appropriate for students with previous millinery experience. The course is a part-time, with independent working away from college required in order to complete the work. Excellent attendance and punctuality are required from all students. There is a small additional charge for materials payable in class. If you have any further questions, please email vesna.pesic@staging.morleycollege.ac.uk (You may be advised to attend BTEC Level 2 Millinery Design before enrolling to HNC Millinery)

What you need

The dedicated millinery studio at college is equipped with a wide range of millinery equipment – blocks, steamers, irons, fume cupboard, and sewing machines. Students are asked to provide their own personal millinery sewing kits, which will include a combination of standard sewing equipment and some millinery-specific tools. Depending on the direction of a student’s work, equipment and materials will need to be individually sourced during the course. College has some materials for students to purchase such as sketchbooks, calico, millinery wire and stiffeners. A detailed list of useful tools, materials and equipment will be provided before the start of the course.

What you can do next

Former students have gained employment with the UK’s leading milliners, established their own businesses or progressed onto BA and MA courses at leading fashion colleges.

Cost