CHANEL and King’s Foundation graduate Emily Hurst announced as recipient of Royal Ascot’s millinery bursary
We are delighted to announce Emily Hurst as the first-ever recipient of the newly established £10,000 annual bursary, awarded by Ascot Racecourse in partnership with the CHANEL & The King’s Foundation Métiers d’Art Millinery Fellowship.
“I’m incredibly grateful to receive this bursary from Ascot, which will make a vital difference as I begin my professional journey. It’s a huge honour to have my work recognised in this way and I owe so much to my time on the CHANEL and King’s Foundation Millinery Fellowship. Straw is an extraordinary and often overlooked material with deep cultural significance and an exciting future in modern fashion. I’m passionate about helping this heritage craft not only survive, but thrive again.”
Emily Hurst
Emily plans to launch her own millinery label – a brand rooted in sustainability, heritage, and innovation – creating high-end straw headwear for modern women. Her work has a unique focus on the endangered art of straw work, with a commitment to conservation. Emily’s work celebrates time-honoured crafts such as straw plaiting, weaving, and Swiss decorative methods – once central to the global hat industry and reimagined for contemporary fashion.
“Emily’s artistry and dedication to reviving traditional straw work perfectly embodies the spirit of this bursary. Royal Ascot has always been a global celebration of millinery, and through this initiative, we are ensuring that the next generation of milliners have the tools and support to carry forward this proud tradition into the future.”
Felicity Barnard, Chief Executive, Ascot Racecourse
This bursary will be given annually to a graduating student from the CHANEL and King’s Foundation Métiers d’Art Fellowship. Emily has recently graduated from the course which is based at Highgrove Gardens, His Majesty’s private residence in Gloucestershire.
During the 35-week Fellowship at The King’s Foundation, Emily received formal millinery training across a range of materials, including felt, sinamay and straw, and gained rare hands-on experience using historic Guinea Straw Machines – a core part of the straw hat industry since the late 1800s. Her time on the programme ignited a vision to restore straw’s status as a luxury fashion material.
The King’s Foundation and CHANEL’s Fellowship’s students work will be showcased at Royal Ascot 2025, in the Queen Anne Enclosure, offering racegoers the chance to experience the next generation of millinery talent first-hand.
