Shirley Hex

Shirley Hex (1933–2024) was a British milliner and educator. Hex started working as a milliner in London as a teenager, she was later head of millinery at British couture houses including Lachasse, she ended her career as a lecturer in millinery in higher education including at Middlesex University and the Royal College of Art. Her students included leading British milliners and designers Stephen Jones, Philip Treacy and Noel Stewart. Stephen Jones acknowledged her a his muse and credited her for a revival in British millinery. In the 1950s she worked in the workshops of London millinery brands including Madame Vernier and Edward Mann.

Hex lectured in millinery at Middlesex University, Harrow University, Surrey Institute of Art & Design and the Royal College of Art. Her students included notable milliners and fashion designers such as Stephen Jones, Philip Treacy, Flora McLean, Deborah Miller, Noel Stewart and Misa Harada.