Book/Exhibit Review: "Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones" at the V&A in London
Today, i'm so excited to bring something completely new to La Bricoleuse: my first guest blogger!
An old friend and colleague, Trystan L. Bass (lj user trystbat), recently had the wonderful opportunity to visit couture milliner Stephen Jones' hat exhibit at London's Victoria & Albert Museum. She graciously agreed to write up the experience for me to share here!
Trystan is a writer with a consuming passion for travel and costume, and one half of the travel-media team at T & T's Real Travels (look for their forthcoming DVD on Carnivale in Venice, slated for release later this summer). She is a longtime active member of the Greater Bay Area Costumers' Guild, has set foot on all seven continents, and won "Best in Show" with the Empress Eugenie group at Costume-Con 26's Historical Masquerade.
* * *
A hat is "the cherry on the cake, the dot on the 'i,' the exclamation mark" for an outfit, in the words of British couture milliner Stephen Jones. Likewise, I've often felt a costume isn't complete without something on my head. Whether a wild wig or a plumed chapeau, a headdress calls attention to the face and makes a fantasy or historical costume more personal. In modern fashion, interesting hats have become rare and they make the wearer stand out. The latest special exhibit at London's Victoria & Albert Museum combines all these threads of millinery fascination, sprinkles them with a dash of context, and tops them off a blast of whimsy.
"Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones" is an exhibit of over 350 hats, both historical items from the V&A's vast collection and modern pieces from Jones and other, mostly British, designers. If you're looking for a strict history of hats, you'll be sadly disappointed. Read the title: This is an "anthology," not a catalog or a chronicle.
Also note it's "by Stephen Jones," so it's one person's specific take on the subject. And it's one truly fabulous person too. From new romantic 1980s roots (his breakthrough was a hat for Boy George in the video for "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"), Jones regularly works with couture houses like Christian Dior, Thierry Mugler, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Commes de Garcons, and John Galliano.
The exhibit is arranged into four areas. You enter into "Inspiration," where hats are grouped by style and material. One of the first cases features hats that compare historical shapes with modern ones. Elegant silk18th-century bicorns and tricorns sit next to one of the battered leather tricorns worn by Johnny Depp in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. Stephen Jones' "Carnival" tiny tricorn made of sheer organza with fuzzy pom-poms dangling is arranged next to these to show the progression of shapes. A 17th-century samurai helmet is displayed next to Darth Vader's helmet from "Star Wars" -- the inspiration is obvious. Vivienne Westwood's "Harris Tweed" crown is shown near a glittery tiara. A variety of turbans from India, the 1940s, and today display how timeless the style is.
Another large case features hats made of natural materials. Hats have long been made of straw and natural fabrics or trimmed with feathers and fur. But this display showed hats constructed of many more materials found in the natural world. For example, there was a bird-shaped hat made by Jones from wooden lollipop sticks for Galliano's 1996 collection and another by Jones made from bulrushes in 1993 called his "Kon-tiki hat." Looking farther back, there was a WWII-era hat made of lacquered wood shavings - a beautiful illustration of making do in a time of shortages.
The center of the exhibition was titled "Creation," and it allowed a peek into the milliner's world. Jones' own design studio was recreated, complete with overflowing drawers of supplies, sketches of new designs, and hats in progress.
Beyond this was an area called "The Salon," a little bit of a historical hat shop and partly an ode to the process of purchasing the perfect hat. Particularly charming was the display of vintage hat boxes.
The final section of the exhibit was "The Client." Here you could see hats of famous people, plus video screens to show those very hats being worn by their owners. The golden feather hat ornament worn by of the then Camilla Parker Bowles at her wedding to Prince Charles was on display. Nearby was a modest lavender plumed hat from the Queen Mother. More adventurous chapeaus worn by the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Bjork.
Many (although sadly not all) of the exhibition's hats are shown on the V&A's special website for the anthology. Make sure to explore every section of the site to catch all of the beautiful features, such as 360-degree views of select hats, video interviews, a video showing Jones' signature Union Jack top hat being made, and much more.
The companion book to the exhibit - written by V&A curator of modern fashion and textiles, Oriole Cullen - shows even more (but again, not every last hat). The book is also something of a biography of Stephen Jones, but it places his work in context of millinery in the past 200 years. This is fascinating reading for students of fashion history and especially for anyone interested in the current state of haute couture accessories. The photos are exquisite, ranging from museum displays to fashion shows to vintage illustrations. The book includes a fine hat-related bibliography and brief biographies of prominent milliners dating back to Rose Bertin.
The exhibit, website, and book are each a bit different, and they naturally compliment each other. Ideally, hat lovers would indulge in all three. But if you can't see the exhibit in person, make a point of spending time with the website and consider buying the book (which is available from amazon.com and other retailers worldwide). These are treasures for fans of modern millinery.
Trystan L. Bass
* * *
As for me, I won't make it to England to see the exhibit, but i do own a copy of the book, which is available on the V&A webshop, here: http://www.vandashop.com/section.php?xSec=262
They also carry a number of related products, from actual hats to hat-print scarves and notebooks, brooches, etc. I was in need of a project notebook, so i splurged on the little composition book covered with Mr. Jones' design sketches.
I feel certain that the next time millinery class comes around, some folks will be looking to this book for project references!
An old friend and colleague, Trystan L. Bass (lj user trystbat), recently had the wonderful opportunity to visit couture milliner Stephen Jones' hat exhibit at London's Victoria & Albert Museum. She graciously agreed to write up the experience for me to share here!
Trystan is a writer with a consuming passion for travel and costume, and one half of the travel-media team at T & T's Real Travels (look for their forthcoming DVD on Carnivale in Venice, slated for release later this summer). She is a longtime active member of the Greater Bay Area Costumers' Guild, has set foot on all seven continents, and won "Best in Show" with the Empress Eugenie group at Costume-Con 26's Historical Masquerade.
* * *
A hat is "the cherry on the cake, the dot on the 'i,' the exclamation mark" for an outfit, in the words of British couture milliner Stephen Jones. Likewise, I've often felt a costume isn't complete without something on my head. Whether a wild wig or a plumed chapeau, a headdress calls attention to the face and makes a fantasy or historical costume more personal. In modern fashion, interesting hats have become rare and they make the wearer stand out. The latest special exhibit at London's Victoria & Albert Museum combines all these threads of millinery fascination, sprinkles them with a dash of context, and tops them off a blast of whimsy.
"Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones" is an exhibit of over 350 hats, both historical items from the V&A's vast collection and modern pieces from Jones and other, mostly British, designers. If you're looking for a strict history of hats, you'll be sadly disappointed. Read the title: This is an "anthology," not a catalog or a chronicle.
Also note it's "by Stephen Jones," so it's one person's specific take on the subject. And it's one truly fabulous person too. From new romantic 1980s roots (his breakthrough was a hat for Boy George in the video for "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"), Jones regularly works with couture houses like Christian Dior, Thierry Mugler, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Commes de Garcons, and John Galliano.
The exhibit is arranged into four areas. You enter into "Inspiration," where hats are grouped by style and material. One of the first cases features hats that compare historical shapes with modern ones. Elegant silk18th-century bicorns and tricorns sit next to one of the battered leather tricorns worn by Johnny Depp in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. Stephen Jones' "Carnival" tiny tricorn made of sheer organza with fuzzy pom-poms dangling is arranged next to these to show the progression of shapes. A 17th-century samurai helmet is displayed next to Darth Vader's helmet from "Star Wars" -- the inspiration is obvious. Vivienne Westwood's "Harris Tweed" crown is shown near a glittery tiara. A variety of turbans from India, the 1940s, and today display how timeless the style is.
Another large case features hats made of natural materials. Hats have long been made of straw and natural fabrics or trimmed with feathers and fur. But this display showed hats constructed of many more materials found in the natural world. For example, there was a bird-shaped hat made by Jones from wooden lollipop sticks for Galliano's 1996 collection and another by Jones made from bulrushes in 1993 called his "Kon-tiki hat." Looking farther back, there was a WWII-era hat made of lacquered wood shavings - a beautiful illustration of making do in a time of shortages.
The center of the exhibition was titled "Creation," and it allowed a peek into the milliner's world. Jones' own design studio was recreated, complete with overflowing drawers of supplies, sketches of new designs, and hats in progress.
Beyond this was an area called "The Salon," a little bit of a historical hat shop and partly an ode to the process of purchasing the perfect hat. Particularly charming was the display of vintage hat boxes.
The final section of the exhibit was "The Client." Here you could see hats of famous people, plus video screens to show those very hats being worn by their owners. The golden feather hat ornament worn by of the then Camilla Parker Bowles at her wedding to Prince Charles was on display. Nearby was a modest lavender plumed hat from the Queen Mother. More adventurous chapeaus worn by the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Bjork.
Many (although sadly not all) of the exhibition's hats are shown on the V&A's special website for the anthology. Make sure to explore every section of the site to catch all of the beautiful features, such as 360-degree views of select hats, video interviews, a video showing Jones' signature Union Jack top hat being made, and much more.
The companion book to the exhibit - written by V&A curator of modern fashion and textiles, Oriole Cullen - shows even more (but again, not every last hat). The book is also something of a biography of Stephen Jones, but it places his work in context of millinery in the past 200 years. This is fascinating reading for students of fashion history and especially for anyone interested in the current state of haute couture accessories. The photos are exquisite, ranging from museum displays to fashion shows to vintage illustrations. The book includes a fine hat-related bibliography and brief biographies of prominent milliners dating back to Rose Bertin.
The exhibit, website, and book are each a bit different, and they naturally compliment each other. Ideally, hat lovers would indulge in all three. But if you can't see the exhibit in person, make a point of spending time with the website and consider buying the book (which is available from amazon.com and other retailers worldwide). These are treasures for fans of modern millinery.
Trystan L. Bass
* * *
As for me, I won't make it to England to see the exhibit, but i do own a copy of the book, which is available on the V&A webshop, here: http://www.vandashop.com/section.php?xSec=262
They also carry a number of related products, from actual hats to hat-print scarves and notebooks, brooches, etc. I was in need of a project notebook, so i splurged on the little composition book covered with Mr. Jones' design sketches.
I feel certain that the next time millinery class comes around, some folks will be looking to this book for project references!