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May 2010 - A Fascinating Journey with Claire Muir

For the May meeting of Andover Women in Business, we met at the Bourne Valley Inn at St. Mary Bourne, a regular meeting place for our Group. The pub has recently been taken over by new managers who were very friendly, helpful and attentive all evening. The food, as always was excellent and we were able to network in small groups while we enjoyed our meal. We were all looking forward to the presentation by one of our members, Claire Muir.

Claire has had a fascinating journey to get to where she is today. Having graduated with a degree in Art & Related Art, in the summer of 1990, Claire was offered employment with the two very well-known and established milliners, Philip Somerville and Mitze Lorenz. This gave Claire valuable insight into the workings of millinery and started her on her creative journey.

Claire was then given the opportunity to study for a further year in the Textiles Department of Glasgow School of Art and after this secured a very interesting job working for Stageworks Worldwide Productions where she was a designer of headdresses and accessories. Claire showed us some photos of the amazing pieces that she created for the Hot Ice Show in Blackpool and I think we were all very impressed!

From there, having now gained enormous experience of working with a wide range of materials, designs and techniques, Claire began working for herself making textile accessories which includes fascinators, tiaras, corsages, jewellery and f lowers.

Claire has exhibited and done presentations all over the country and locally does a lot of work with Pauline Forster in Whitchurch. Her unique selling point seems to be that every commission is different and individual and by incorporating a wide range of fabrics in line with a clients’ requirements Claire can offer you fully colour-matched and fitted accessories for any outfit.

Claire was presented with a bottle of wine and the evening concluded with the opportunity to network with other members whilst browsing through Claire’s portfolios and the fantastic array of hats, fascinators and other accessories that she had brought with her. I think we all thoroughly enjoyed a fascinating and inspiring evening and I for one went home wishing I was far more creative.

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