“
h

ATS TELL EVERyThING AbouT Who A
PERSoN WANTS To bE, NoT Who ThEy ARE.
I’M A TERRIbLE AMATEuR PSyChoANALyST”
working with Galliano, Jones has made All of his hats seem to achieve a unique
hats for diverse collections from Prêt-a- balance, blending theatrical flourish
porter and Cruise to Surf and Baby Dior. with wit. They tell a story through shape,
But without question Stephen’s texture and decoration, transporting the
wildest imaginations are for the Haute wearer to a certain place, time or mood
Couture collection. “This is where – or allowing them to step into the shoes
millinery dreams come true,” he says. of someone else.
“Here I can give my imagination That’s the real beauty of hats, says
extravagant rein. A two metre hat Stephen, that they allow the wearer
of paradise feathers? No problem. to live out a fantasy, if only for a short
Taxidermied game? Perfect for Versailles. while. “Hats tell everything about who
One hundred hours of embroidery on a a person wants to be not who they are,”
minxy beret? Pourquoi pas? I always say he says. “And yes, I am a terrible amateur
that the most beautiful hat can be made psychoanalyst! When I was looking
from a twist of tissue paper, but how through the V&A’s archive for Hats: An
much nicer it is in Kolinsky sable.” Anthology, I found a black ladies’ bonnet
Some of Stephen’s most memorable dating back to 1810. It was clearly a
Dior couture creations include a 3ft widow’s hat but it was so huge and
high Egyptian empress headdress worn extravagant, I couldn’t help thinking,
by Erin O’Connor in the 2004 Egyptian the owner may have been happy her
inspired collection (according to him, husband had died.”
‘the most over the top show ever’); a Hats: An Anthology is the exhibition
brocade sari pillow hat accented with a that Stephen is currently co-curating
veil of Indian jewels worn by Alec Wec; at the V&A, and it’s is a must visit for
and a design that saw Stella Tennant anyone interested in millinery. Displayed
stalking down the catwalk wearing a hat in a magical, box-hedged, Baroque garden
fashioned out of a taxidermied silver fox setting, it traces the history of hats from
holding a stuffed bird in its mouth. “Anti- 600BC to the present day, showcasing
fur groups in the UK were not happy,” an eclectic collection of head gear, from
says Stephen. “But I thought the animals a 17th-century Puritan’s hat to a 1950s
and birds looked beautiful.” Balenciaga couture piece as well as hats
Always fascinated by the possibilities worn by Audrey Hepburn, Isabella Blow
of scale, Jones also created Kylie’s huge, and Anna Piaggi. And of course, there are
spectacular feather headdresses for her hats by the man himself.
2005 Showgirl tour, while for Dita Von Those who know Stephen Jones
Teese, he fashioned the tiniest tricorn compare him to his hats – very smart,
hat for her wedding to Marilyn Manson. fabulously fun, and a little bit eccentric.
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