"Hatventure" with Milliner Lina Stein
November 3 - 10, 2010
Dublin • Mulranny • Galway • London
Submerge yourself in the mysterious and delightful world of hats and combine your passion for hats, hat making and travel!
Join award-winning Milliner Lina Stein of Lina Stein School of Millinery on the rugged west coast of Ireland for a weeklong millinery extravaganza that will most definitely “blow your hat away”!
Journey with Lina on this voyage of discovery that will take you from a quiet Irish village on the wild Atlantic coast to the thriving fashion metropolis of London! Enjoy making and designing your own creations under Lina’s expert guidance and open a new door to the marvelous World of Millinery.
The Lina Stein School of Millinery is offering this week-long intensive course for visiting students to focus their attention on hats, millinery skills, meeting people, discussing the world, and anything “hatty”. No previous experience required!
In addition to these exciting prospects, we also will discover some hidden parts of this wild and beautiful island and then afterwards, fly to England for two days to shop and explore the HAT districts of London.
Itinerary
Day One. Wednesday, November 3 – Arrive in Dublin
Fly into Dublin where Lina will meet you at the airport. We then will travel via train to County Mayo. We will be catching the 12:40 p.m. train from Heuston Station to Westport so your flight will need to get in before 10 a.m. (If you want to arrive the day before Beadventures can recommend where to stay.)
During the 3.5-hour train journey we will travel through the heart of the Irish countryside, traveling from the Irish Sea in the east to the Atlantic in the west. When we arrive at the end of the line in Westport, you will be met by a private bus and taken on a 40-minute drive to the Essence of Mulranny Studios and Residence in the small village of Mulranny.
Here a welcome meal awaits you, and no doubt you will be ready for an early night after a long journey.
Day Two. Thursday, November 4 – Workshop Begins
The workshop will take up the following three days. Under Lina’s guidance, you will create a head piece/fascinator using a Millinery textile called “Sinamay”. You will learn how to:
- Recognize what type of style would suit different people
- Design your own creation
- Work, manipulate or distress the Sinamay to create amazing shapes
- Finish your own headpiece that you can embellish with beads or pearls if you so wish
Day Three. Friday, November 5 - Workshop Continues
Today you will work with Millinery felts in which you will
In the evening, if you are up to it, Lina will demonstrate several traditional felt trimmings and give suggestions on the finishing of your hat!
Day Four. Saturday, November 6 - Final Day of the Workshop
Today we will work on completing the felt hat. After a good nights rest, your hat will come together and you can then trim it however you fancy.
This will be followed in the evening with a “Champagne Reception” at the EOM-Residence. Relax and unwind in the company of the other “Novice Milliners”, mingle with local ladies, talk about hats and style, listen to nice music, and simply enjoy your success!
Day Five. Sunday, November 7 – Day of Discovery in Galway
A private bus will drive you through the Connemara Scenery to Galway City, where you will check into the “G Hotel,” the only five star luxury hotel in Galway. The “G” is located in the center of Galway, the unofficial arts capital of Ireland and birthplace of flamboyant hat maker and stylist Phillip Treacy who designed the hotel. Observing the fusion of styles from Art deco to Baroque to modern, you will notice his millinery touch throughout the design and décor or this sumptuous hotel which has just been named as one of the top three hotels in the world by Conde-Nast.
The afternoon is free to enjoy the city as you wish. The charming medieval town of Galway is pedestrian friendly and boasts a delightful and bustling shopping area filled with a myriad of shops, cafes, and traditional Irish pubs. The streets and alleys are dotted with performing artists. You can listen to some playing live music, sample their handcrafted wares, or simply enjoy the lively setting as you take in this "City of the Tribes".
That same evening we will meet back at the hotel at 7 p.m. for dinner in the prize-winning restaurant "Matz at the G" where we will enjoy the sumptuous settings this Millinery-inspired hotel has to offer.
Day Six. Monday, November 8 – To London's Hat District
The next part of the journey takes place in London. You will pack an overnight bag (we'll leave the rest of our luggage at the hotel) and board an early morning flight to London and spend the day in the “Hat District”.
You will have the opportunity to visit one of the few remaining Hat-Block Makers in the world and see how these amazing shapes are created. Block-makers are a fundamental part on the Millinery world without which hat making, as we now know it would not exist.
After lunch you will be taken to one of Europe’s leading suppliers to the Millinery trade. Here the friendly staff will show you around the storeroom which is “packed to the brim” with a kaleidoscope of felts & straws, feathers and petersham ribbons of every color imaginable. Completely inspired by the variety available, you will have the opportunity to purchase some supplies for future projects at factory prices and have them shipped home or taken in your hand luggage.
The Hat Museum nearby gives you great insight into the history of hat-making, both couture and industrial, with a wonderful array of vintage hats, samples of rare and intricate straw braids, and many other displays of interest to Milliners and designers!
The final stop will be a small but colorful feather and trimmings shop where you never know what you might discover to take home with you.
After a hearty meal in the town and a comfortable bed in a nearby hotel, you will be ready for the tour of the City of London on the last day, or if you are still creatively inspired, you can relax in the spacious hotel lounge and work on some new ribbon trimmings and end the evening with colorful conversation!
Day Seven. Tuesday, November 9 - Tour London
After an English breakfast we embark on a day tour of London. We will visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, which always is a treat. While it may not be so much about hats, it certainly will inspire and intrigue you.
You will have time to explore this vast Museum on your own and subsequently meet for lunch in the museum restaurant.
The afternoon in London is for sightseeing and exploring the city. We will enjoy “Bijou Afternoon Tea” in the Langham Hotel, one of London’s historical landmark hotels, renowned for its Afternoon Tea and palatial surroundings.
We will catch the evening flight back to Galway and return again for the last night stay in the G Hotel.
Day Eight. Wednesday, November 10 – Departure
After a well deserved sleep and wholesome breakfast, you will pack up your belongings, your new hats, and purchases and meet in the Lounge to say your farewells. Never an easy thing!
Leaving from Galway gives you further options to extend your time in Ireland or return to Shannon or Dublin for flights home.
No hatmaking experience required!
About Lina Stein . . .
Lina Stein known for her flamboyant and extravagant creations that signal her presence and individual creativity. Through her workshops she has inspired countless novice Milliners to take up the thimble, needle, and thread and has helped to open their minds to other creative dimensions.
Lina's background in "classic theatrical millinery" provides her with the unique expertise to unite traditional hat-making know-how with modern design, which creates hats of great sophistication and clean lines.
Lina has has exhibited from Stuttgart to Los Angeles. Her pieces are always a sensation at special events both in Ireland and abroad, seducing the crowds with their exotic elegance, style, and wit. Most recent awards include being the 2008 recipient at the “Hatty Awards” and winner of “The Best Hat” at the Galway Races.
Trip Cost
$2,500 (US Dollars)
Includes: All lodging (all single rooms in Ireland; $375 single supplement for other lodging); all meals except three lunches while touring; all transport while on Beadventure)
Does not include: Airfare to and from Ireland
Payment Terms: $300 deposit to hold spot; balance due 90 days prior to start of Beadventure (see Terms and Conditions for more information)