Sara and Dan, our millinery tutors from Sorensen Grundy Milliners have recently created a wonderful new hat: Construction Overhead.
Construction Overhead Hat by Sorensen-Grundy Milliners
We are so amazed by this ‘half hat’, its delicacy and the creativity behind. You’ll need to have a very close look to it!
Here is an article from My Modern Met about this magical hat.
Go to Sara and Dan’s website to explore more about their millinery world!
We received the freshly released London Coffee Guide this morning, telling us that The 3 Little Pigs Coffee Corner is listed as one of London’s top 100 coffee venues 
Top 100: The 3 Little Pigs in The London Coffee Guide
We are thrilled with this news and can’t wait to share it with you. Many who have come in the Black Truffle boutique to take shoemaking, bag-making courses at Prescott & Mackay downstairs might have tried our truly delicious coffee and be impressed as much as so was London Coffee Guide.
The 3 Little Pigs in London Coffee Guide
The guide has also featured the Beginners Shoemaking Course in the school.
Well, here’s the place you can find quirky shoes, best quality craft courses and the most wonderful coffee under one roof
We are again featured on the June 5th Telegraph, and we are under the list of “BRITAIN’S BEST CRAFT CLASSES“:) Check the article on Telegraph.co.uk and start to create your own outfit.
oto: TINA HILLIER. Coutesy: Telegraph.co.uk
High Heels from Chau Har Lee, one of P&M's shoemaking tutor
What happens to fashion in recession period? We got to know from an interesting radio forecast from BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour that some women tend to wear even higher heels and finer lingerie (starting from the 18th min), while we also know from our increasing course demands that people tend to do much more “do it yourself and make it yourself”. Listen to the radio here, or learn more about the “Make Do And Mend” movement here.
In our shoemaking and corsetry classes, people have been encouraged to try their hand at making their own glamorous creations rather than buying expensive items off the shelf that these days are all too often simply imported from the far east.
The student below, has recycled her old red leather handbag into a pair of shoes.
recycling an old leather bag into shoes
make do and mend!
Visit Prescott & Mackay’s website for more information about do it yourself and make it yourself! For students who prefer higher heels, we are going to launch new collections of the shoe lasts in the coming months.
Gok's Ballerina Look, with tutu net underneath tulle dress
In last week’s Gok’s Fashion Show, Gok created the ‘Ballerina’ look by cutting off the satin lining of a net dress, leaving only the tulle part of the dress, inserting a piece of two-layered tutu underneath, and pinning the tulle of the front panel up. Interesting experiment of using a ballerina tutu! Watch the show on Channel 4 here, or watch it via Youtube. (The ballerina part starts from the 26min46sec, and you’ll have to bear with a few ads by the way…)
If you have ever taken our tutu-making course, it’s a piece of cake for you to create that two-layer tutu with knickers at home. If you haven’t, check Presott & Mackay’s TuTu Making Class here, then you can make your own tutu from home!
Read more about what you will do in this professional tutu course here
[ Backgrounds about Gok's Clothes RoadShow - Gok rescues women who don't know how to dress, helps women to use clothes they never wear in their wardrobes, and uses his high-street sourced clothes and acssesories to competes Brix Smith-Start's designer look in the show. ]
Having been a tutor at Prescott & Mackay for many years, Chau Har Lee has embraced a new stage in her life as a footwear designer. Her graduate collection at Royal College of Arts is now in Selfridges’ Shoe Galleries, which has 55,000 shoes in stock and 4,000 shoes on display.
The Evening Standard compared Chau to Jimmy Choo, putting her right in the spotlight. This year has already been a very busy one for her: after receiving NEWGEN sponsorship, Chau had her collections to show at London Fashion Week (LFW) in September 2010 as one of the 21 of London’s brightest emerging fashion design talents.
Chau Har Lee in Selfridges Shoe Galleries. Source: Evening Standard
People might have seen quite a few high heels in Chau’s signature sculptural, lasercut design, but we particularly love this flat one (pictured below) that she did for Camper’s workshop.
“This shoe is made up of three interconnecting parts: the uppers, made up of two pattern pieces, moulded to shape and attached to the sole with a few stitches, the opening cut out of the middle becomes the backstrap. The foot bed slots into the sole and moulds to the wearer’s foot providing support for the arch. The sole shape provides protection where the foot has most contact with the ground. All 3 parts can be made of different materials and interchanged as required without the need for adhesives. All the pattern pieces tessellate ensuring minimum waste of materials,” says Chau.
Chau's Natural Shoe in Camper's workshop
Chau’s students at Prescott & Mackay describe her as a down to earth, calm and very hard-working tutor. We all feel proud of Chau and wish her a splendid future on the path of shoe design. If you are ever a student of Chau for shoemaking at Prescott & Mackay, leave your comments and show her your support!
Chau in shoemaking class with student
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Want to get a closer look at her designs? Check the links below:
Chau Down This from Style Bubble
Interview to Chau Har Lee from Prescott & Mackay
It is Week 8 and Caterina is has only 2 Weeks left to finish her shoes on the Prescott & Mackay Shoemaking Evening Course. See what she got up to below.
Week 8
Last week I sewed together my uppers with the linings…this week I have to check if what I have done actually works! So here I am again, 6pm close the shop and run to Warren Street to the P&M studio…
It works! Now I need to apply some rubber solution all around and stick the topline tape on it to reinforce the topline…done!
As the other students in the workshop I’m really happy with the result of my efforts. Today I want to start to pull at least one of the shoes into the last and this is actually what I will do next.
I placed it onto the last using tacks, and got the positioning right so that they looked good from the top. I then began to tack down the lining, the first stage of the lasting process.
The time runs out so quickly, that all of us today tried to ignore Chau when she told us that it was already 9 o’clock! We wanted to go on working…
Links:
Evening Course diary week 1, week 3, week 4, week 5, week 6, week 7, week 8, week 9, and week 10
We all have a few old shoes at the back of the closet that we are too attached to and can’t throw out.
Well how about this for a piece of juicy shoe news. They have found the world’s oldest shoe in a cave in Armenia. Over 5000 years old, they think a lady hid it away as a part of a mysterious ceremony or ritual. Sound familiar? Don’t all go running out burying your shoes though, we now have shoe museums to do the preserving for us.
It was originally thought to be 600-700 years old, as it was in such good condition. It is made of a single piece of cow hide and stitched together with leather thread. Even the lace still survives.
The shoe is a Size 4, UK, and would probably have belonged to a woman farmer in the area at the time. They assume this, as men would have had larger feet, but the style could be for either men or women.
Melissa Needham, principle of Prescott & Mackay had a great time attending the Business of Fashion, Fashion Pioneers Interview with Jefferson Hack last night.
See what students have said about their courses and experiences with Prescott & Mackay.
Shoemaking
Superb. I loved my two days and learned so much. I felt it gave a real insight into shoe making and I was delighted with the end result – very professional looking. Would love to come back to do another course
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Jenny Woods, Feb 2009
I enjoyed my course tremendously and can’t wait to do another. I am so proud of my shoes and never dreamed I could create something so fantastic (even if I do say so myself!)
Lesley Walker, Apr 2009
All the teachers give so much. It is lovely to be taught by people that want you to be the very best you can be, no half measures here.
Liz Humphreys, Aug 2009
Shoemaking USA
Shoes made by student Robin Izon
Footwear Production
It really put me in the right direction and gave a complete amateur the ability to compete within the footwear market. Aki was very down to earth and helpful and his inside knowledge of the whole footwear and fashion world was invaluable. Melissa’s ability to help from the retail side also brought a great insight that cannot be given a value.
Sara Flay, Mar 2009
Bag Making
Lesley was an excellent tutor and imparted her vast knowledge in an informative but relaxed way. She made the 2 days fun and inspired us to make bags we all loved! Thank you Lesley. I look forward to learning more.
Beverley Kennelly, Jan 2010
I loved this course – Lesley is fantastic and so very patient. The course blasted through a big creative block I was having and now I am sewing, pattern cutting, jewellery making and generally dreaming creative projects. Thank you.
Nicci Chaplin, Sep 2009
Corsetry
I really enjoyed the course and thought Andrea was a great teacher. I felt I learnt a lot in two days and enough to make another corset on my own.
Samantha Hanson, Sep 2009
I had a brillian
t weekend! Our tutor was lovely as well as being highly knowledgeabl e and a great teacher. I learned so much and I feel confident now in my abi lities to create further corsets. I fully intend to go on an advanced course.
I’m really glad I found you as it has saved me a lot of pain fumbling along on my own and all my friends are really impressed with my completed corset.
Simone Clarke, Sep 2009
Tutu Making
I cant speak highly enough of Amanda – she was patient – incredibly informative – and made even the most difficult seem achievable – she worked so hard for us – if she does any more course I would love to go on them.
Stephanie Thompson, May 2009
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