Victoria and Albert and Stephen Jones

The Queensland Art Gallery is the exclusive Australian venue for a spectacular exhibition exploring the art of millinery.  The exhibition presents more than 250 hats and headpieces from the Victoria & Albert's extensive collection as well as milliner Stephen Jones's own archive.

Stephen Jones with some of his magnificent millinery creations.

The exhibition includes items and iconic hats, such as a twelfth-century Egyptian fez, a wide-brimmed black silk tulle hat from Christian Dior's first collection in 1948, Mary Quant's c. 1968 navy blue beret, and Stephen Jones's 'Wash n' Go' hat, moulded from clear plastic to resemble a splash of water, from the 1993 Spring/Summer collection.  Photography was not permitted, so I have had to source photographs of my favourites elsewhere for you.

It also features hats worn by historical and cultural icons - Elsa Schiaparelli's black felt beret worn by Marlene Dietrich  in Witness for the Prosecution in 1957 as Philip Treacy's gorgeous green feather creation worn by Sarah Jessica Parker at the London premiere of Sex and the City the Movie and another worn by Isabella Blow.


Here are a few of my favourites for you.

'Kiss of Death' by Jo Gordon, 1994

English model Erin O'Connor wearing Stephen Jone's iconic Union Jack miniature top hat entitled Anna P.

SJP at the Sex and the City Movie premiere wearing her Philip Treacy creation. 

Philip Treacy, originally worn by the late Isabella Blow.

The divine and super colourful pom-pom hat by Soren Bach. 

'Wash n' Go' by Stephen Jones. 

Stephen Jones for Dior.

At the end of the exhibition, there was a Children's Art Centre.  Both children and adults are invited to discover the art of designing hats in an interactive section of the exhibition.  Gallery visitors get to create their own toppers, berets or bonnets using templates inspired by the hats on display, including the fantastical creations of milliner extraordinaire, Stephen Jones.  

Annabel in her Barbie one-of-a-kind, hand-made by Ella of the Queensland Art Gallery, c'est magnifique! 

 Ella presenting Chloè with her Pony fascinator. 

 Annabel making accessories for the hats she made herself.

Ta-dah! 

My girls Chloè and Annabel monopolised one of the lovely staff there for over an hour.  She was so patient, setting about creating a Barbie doll hat for Annabel and a pony hat for Chloè.  Don't they look adorably chic?





Hx

Mad Hatters

Kathleen Kelly: Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one.  It got on at 42nd, and off at 59th, where, I assume it was going to Bloomingdales to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake - as almost all hats are." - quoted from You've Got Mail (1998).


I love this movie and I love that line because I always disagreed with it.  Sounds strange that I would like something that I disagree with, I know.  But Meg Ryan's character Kathleen Kelly wasn't half wrong when she says that almost all hats turn out to be a mistake because often people buy the wrong hat for their face shape, and often they don't know how to wear it right either. So in a sense, I think almost all hats have the potential to be a mistake.

Some people look just great in the right hat, don't they?

Fedoras, Trilbys, flat caps and beanies.  These looks are timeless and the hats are functional as head-warmers and protectors from the sun.  


One style of hat that I absolutely love is the distressed cowboy hat.  A look which unfortunately does not suit me, and I can wear just about any type of hat.  It just looks ridiculous on me, but I bought one anyway, and I wear it in the garden when I'm pulling weeds.  That way I cannot offend anyone with my ridiculous looking hat!

David Beckham show's us how its done.  Très cute.

Growing up, my Grandmother always told my brother that the correct etiquette was to remove his hat at the dinner table and when indoors.  Women did not have to follow suit because it is fine for women to wear a hat indoors and while dining.  I guess in days gone by, a lady's bonnet was such a part of her ensemble that to have to remove her hat would have meant having to have her hair redone each time she removed it!   

Can you imagine Marie Antoinette having to remove her hat every five minutes?

Panama hats are a wise choice when considering buying a hat as it is one style that goes a long way because it suits just about any shape of face.

Lily Cole looks lovely in her Panama.

Hats make the perfect accessory because they can hide a bad hair day and it's a great way to hide from the world when you've got the blues.  You can just blend in to the crowd.  A hat is also good at helping you stand out when you want to be noticed, think Carrie in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994):  Charles: "Great hat", Carrie: "Thanks, I bought it 'specially."

Chloe Sevigny looking impossibly chic in her straw boater. 

Coco Chanel epitomised her effortless French style with a decorated beret here in 1938.

Jennifer Lopez strikes a pose with her wide-brimmed hat, a perfect style for her. 

Kirsten Dunst looks great in her trilby.

Cameron, Kate and Kiera show us how easy it is to look good in a hat.

This winter, try giving your look a classic edge with a trench and wide-brimmed felt hat.  Just beautiful.

Victoria Beckham uses the brim of her cloche to hide from the paparazzi.

"A Hat is a flag, a shield, a bit of armor, and the badge of femininity.  A hat is the difference between wearing clothing and wearing a costume; it's the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it's the difference between looking adequate and looking your best.  A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and make all men feel masculine about.  A piece of magic is a hat." - Martha Sliter


I hope you enjoy your new hat Amanda, it looks good on you.  Thanks for the inspiration babe!  Happy Australia Day everyone too!





Hx




Sources: ELLE.co.uk, The Sartorialist, Garance Dorè, People.com

I Heart A Philip Treacy Hat

When I lived in Sydney, not so long ago, one of my favourite things to do was to pop into the David Jones Jones millinery department and spend as much time as I had up my sleeve trying on all the hats.  This was especially helpful if I was having a bad day as I felt transported just being there.  My worries disappeared, my stress fell away, it was bliss.

Philip Treacy, the artist at work.

This was how I discovered the world's greatest milliner, Philip Treacy.  In my opinion, there is no finer milliner.  No one has his daring  and creative approach to design, he is fearless.

Linda Evangelista on the cover of Vogue Italia June 2008 wearing a hat designed by Philip Treacy.

Treacy's talent was evident from the very beginning.  Discovered by the late Isabella Blow in 1989, she knew he was going to change the face of millinery.  At the time Isabella was style editor for Tatler magazine and after meeting him she commissioned Philip to make her a hat for her wedding and as luck would have it (the luck of the Irish perhaps?) he was blessed with having a client that sought out the unusual and the unconventional.

 Isabella wearing her elaborate head-dress designed by Philip Treacy for her wedding to Detmar Blow.

After graduating from the Royal College of Art with first class honours, Philip moved into Isabella and Detmar Blow's basement where he set up his workshop.  Isabella the benefactor became the artist's muse and they talked of nothing but hats, hats, hats!

In 1991 Treacy was to meet chief designer at Chanel Karl Largerfeld and became their chief milliner for the next 10 years.  Not a bad job straight out of university.  He was just 23 years old.  Wow!

Treacy and models at a haute couture show.

The real change for him happened after his first catwalk show.  Supermodel's Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Yasmin Le Bon all agreed to model his hats, (an all black collection) and were paid not in money, but in hats.  The media went crazy when the girls did his show and this changed how hats were seen in fashion from then on.

 Isabella Blow wearing a Philip Treacy creation.

By 1999 Treacy was designing for Alexander McQueen for Givenchy in Paris while while still designing for Chanel.

Some of Treacy's designs for Alexander McQueen and Givenchy.

This led to the first ever Haute Couture show devoted purely to hats which was held in Paris by the chambar syndical de la haute couture and of course Treacy was invited to contribute.

Treacy has now taken his design esthetic into other mediums, designing accessories, glass wear and furniture.  Treacy was awarded an OBE by her majesty the Queen in 2007 in recognition of his services to the British Fashion industry.

"Glamour is a world-wide currency" - Philip Treacy

"I believe in beauty and elegance and communicating thoughts and dreams in a visual way. I started designing hats 15 years ago while I was a student at the Royal College of Art.  It was at a time when hats were perceived publicly as something worn by ladies of a certain age and something from a bygone era.  I thought this was totally ridiculous and simply believed "we all have a head, so everybody has the possibility to wear a hat." - Philip Treacy

A design sketch by Philip Treacy.

"I have had the greatest pleasure of having the opportunity to challenge people's perception of what a hat should look like in the 21st Century."
 

This butterfly hat is truly my favourite.  I imagine the wearer must feel like they are in a butterfly enclosure, it is pure whimsy, sigh.  If I was lucky enough to own this piece of millinery genius, I would have it on display in my home for all to see. 


This post is dedicated to my friend Trudi Francis.