British trained milliner Mich Dulce creates contemporary hats and headpieces with wholly sustainable, socially enterprising and ethical Philippine raw materials combined with traditional European millinery techniques. Following training at Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion, the Fashion Institute of Technology New York, and Ecole Lesage, Mich was named as the British Council’s 2010 International Young Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year and has since been working on her line of contemporary millinery which she showcases at London and Paris Fashion Week. Mich has worked with Marjan Pejoski, Jessica Ogden, KTZ, and most recently, as Assistant Artistic Director for Maison Michel Paris, the hat making atelier of Chanel. She was part of Selfridges sustainability initiative Bright New Things in 2016.

Dulce says “It isn’t enough to just make pretty things. The fabric and craft employed in making my hats are an essential part of my work and showcase the heritage, history and traditions of Filipino craftsmanship. I want to show this to the world whilst remaining creatively engaging”. Dulce’s hats predominantly make use of T’nalak, an abaca based fabric handwoven by the T’boli people of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. Her label has been anchored in three core values: supporting the social and economic empowerment of underserved communities, the preservation of traditional craft and culture, and the creation of lasting, well made products that use ethical and sustainable materials with minimal waste.

The Mich Dulce label was first sold globally in 2009 and has since been stocked in Tokyo, London, Paris, Milan, Florence, Bangkok, Beijing, Singapore, Shanghai, Manila, Melbourne, and New York. Prominent personalities have worn her creations, like Lady Gaga, Anna Dello Russo, Celine Dion, Adam Ant, Leighton Meester, Paris Hilton and Georgia May Jagger to name a few.

In 2019, Mich Dulce was awarded the prestigious Chevening scholarship, and completed her Masters in Social Entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths, University of London. She is also does freelance consultancy work in the fields of fashion, women’s economic empowerment, social enterprise, sustainable fashion, supply chains and the creative economy for institutions like the United Nations Development Programme, the Philippine Commission on Women and the British Council.