.jpg)
"Wash and go" hat, 1999.
Stephen Jones, the master himself.
Art galleries always have the best books. Those glossy, expensive books with mesmerizing illustrations on every page. I have two art gallery books. One, a Gothic addition of Alice, the other a book I picked up on hats. The kind of hats that you see couture models wearing. The kind of hats you look at and think, 'Who would ever wear that?'
Stephen Jones, I have found to discover, is the only person who can place a shoe atop someones' head, call it fashion and not be questioned.
Hats have always been a love of mine, though admired from afar, as I have never been brave enough to try anything that Stephen Jones would dream up. This book looks over his very interesting life as a milliner, complete with pictures and quotes for the various stages of his life.
The section about the types of people who actually buy these hats, (The Client- pg 94) was what I found the most interesting, The work that goes into making the right hat, for the right client, for the right occasion is exhausting. Yet the reward is sweet, according to the book, when the hat the client wears becomes his or her 'signature look'.
Hats: An Anthology
by Stephen Jones is an insightful edition to my duo of art gallery books.Do you wear hats?
X.
What a great bookcover-- bet the photos are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteTimes have changed so-- in earlier eras hats were de rigueur for women and men. Even in the 80s when DeLynne and I were teens, the lower end dressshops at the mall sold hats. I rarely see hats in stores anymore.
For me personally, I love hats but have no where to wear a fancy hat-- my hat wearing consists of big straw gardening hats with chinstraps, visors, or snuggly winter hats with dorky elmer fudd earflaps-- not too glamorous. Mr. Jones would probably run screaming at the sight-- or throw a bag on my head!
Very cool post! Love the pics!
ReplyDeleteI like hats too, but not a hat wearer. I wish I had the nerve, but my life is too ordinary for the type of hats I'd like to wear...
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteI love hats, too! =D
It kind of makes me sad that hats aren't a popular fashion accessory in the Philippines. They're hard to get, unless you're into "faddish" hats (i.e., the classics moulded into supposedly edgy silhouettes and given loud colours)--which I'm not.
I loved living in New Zealand because I could wander around with a hat and nobody would care. (Then again, there were the strong Wellington winds . . . I actually chased a hat down the street once. LOL!)