HATWALK
HATS
1. DUKE OF WELLINGTON, nr Wellington Arch (House of Flora)
2. ANGEL OF PEACE, Wellington Arch (Rachel Trevor-Morgan)
3. ROOSEVELT, Bond Street (John Boyd)
4. CHURCHILL, Bond Street (Herbert Johnson)
5. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Leicester Square (Bernstock Speirs)
6. BEAU BRUMMELL, Jermyn Street (Noel Stewart)
7. GENERAL SIR HENRY HAVELOCK, Trafalgar Square (Philip Treacy)
8. LORD NELSON, Trafalgar Square
9. GENERAL SIR CHARLES JAMES NAPIER, Trafalgar Square (Sophie Beale)
10. ROBERT BURNS, Victoria Embankment (William Chambers)
11. KING GEORGE IV, Trafalgar Square (Stephen Jones)
12. SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN, Victoria Embankment (Gina Foster)
13. THE LADY, Victoria Embankment (Victoria Grant)
14. ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL, Victoria Embankment (Charlie Le Mindu)
15. FRANCIS 5TH DUKE OF BEDFORD, Russell Square (Piers Atkinson)
16. CHARLES JAMES FOX, Bloomsbury Square (Pip Hackett)
17. YOUNG LOVERS, Festival Gardens (Shirley Hex)
18. QUEEN VICTORIA, Blackfriars (Justin Smith Esquire)
19. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH, Bow Churchyard, Cheapside (Edwina Ibbotson)
20. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, St Mary Aldermanbury Gardens (Emma Fielden)
21. 1ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON, Bank of England (Ian Bennett)
1. DUKE OF WELLINGTON
Flora McLean, head designer at the House of Flora decided to give the Duke of Wellington 1769-1852 the
celebrated battler, ‘the Iron Duke’ and the originator of the Wellington Boot a thoroughly modern makeover
with her hot pink Perspex headpiece inspired by modern architecture and paper aeroplanes.
McLean studied an MA in Fashion Womenswear at the Royal College of Art before establishing her House of
Flora label which specialises in avant-garde headwear for the catwalk, fashion campaigns and collectors.
She's an innovative milliner who works with PVC, Perspex, felt, leather, wood veneer and nylon. Influenced
by strong geometry and architecture, Flora also tutors in Footwear, Fashion accessories and millinery at The
Royal College of Art. Flora's legendary PVC beret was exhibited in The Victoria and Albert Museum as part of
the famous Anthology of Hats exhibition in 2009.
2. ANGEL OF PEACE
Rachel Trevor Morgan has been creating hats for spectacular events since 1990 and she didn’t hesitate when
it came to rustling up an elegantly feminine piece for the Angel of Peace, atop the triumphal arch on Hyde
Park Corner. Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch, was built between 1826 and 1830 to
commemorate victory in the Napoleonic Wars. One of the city’s most famous symbols of peace and triumph,
it was also one of the most coveted statues in the group: could there be a more perfect model for a hat in
the first week of the Olympics? At 125 feet high it was also one of the most challenging.
To create a suitably impressive headpiece for the huge monument that towers above Hyde Park, Rachel used
skills honed in dressing the heads of the Queen and other royals. She also has a huge coterie of fans among
blushing brides, who have made her award-winning bridal headdress collection the go-to place for chic
weddings.
3. F D ROOSEVELT
John Boyd’s rich career as a hat maker is now in its sixth decade. He is known and respected throughout the
industry as an influential designer and meticulous craftsman. He made his name creating hats for both the
late Diana Princess of Wales and The Princess Royal. For half a century his work has graced the pages of
glossy magazines and is housed the archives of the V&A. However it was not until the summer of 2012 that
the milliner managed to realise a long-cherished ambition: to create a splendid hat . . . in the shape of a
gigantic tin of Spam! You can find John Boyd’s Spam hat on London’s famously fashionable Bond Street,
adorning the statue of US President, Franklin D Roosevelt, who sits next to Winston Churchill.
As the most experienced of all the designers taking part in HATWALK, John Boyd’s hats range from the
discreet and delicate to the dramatic and flamboyant, replete with handmade bows, flowers, and feathers.
4. WINSTON CHURCHILL
Traditional hatters Herbert Johnson were commissioned to create a hat for legendary wartime Prime
Minister, Winston Churchill, who sits next to Franklin D Roosevelt in Bond St. Having dressed the heads of the
military and the aristocracy since 1889, the team at Herbert Johnson decided, when faced with the HATWALK
challenge, not to abandon tradition but to create a sturdy Homberg for Churchill – in line with his trademark
headwear.
The hatters described HATWALK as ‘a project that is both unique and innovative . . . at a time when the hat is
considered little more than an accessory, we hope that this project will rekindle interest in this article of
dress that was once deemed an essential piece of attire. Our choice of hat for Sir Winston Churchill was
twofold. It was Churchill’s favourite article of headwear but also a hat that was introduced to England by King
Edward VII, the company’s first patron Mayor of London presents Hatwalk
5. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Paul
Bernstock and Thelma Speirs faced their HATWALK challenge by thinking about what Shakespeare might
have been doing if he were alive today. And since 2012 is not only Olympic year but also the year of the
World Shakespeare Festival, the bard is giving us yet another cause for national celebration. The London
milliners opted for one of their trademark ‘bunny caps’ as a nod to Olympic sports excellence and also
because, in the course of their deliberations on how a modern Shakespeare might have chosen to make his
mark, they had decided that he ‘might well have been writing pop music or might even have been a rapper’ if
he was around today. You'll be able to find their hat in Leicester Square in the heart of the West End.
The design duo met at Middlesex University where they both studied Fashion and Textiles, later establishing
their label in 1982. Throughout their career they have been inspired by the underground club and music
scene. They set up shop in fashionable Brick Lane in 2004. Their customer base includes; Kirsten Dunst,
Marion Cotillard, Karl Lagerfeld and Victoria Beckham and they have collaborated with designers Peter
Jensen, Richard Nicoll, Agnes B and Jean-Paul Gaultier over the years.
6. BEAU BRUMMELL
When Noel
Stewart agreed to create a hat to grace the statue of Beau Brummell (1778 – 1830), he knew only too well
that we was taking on the responsibility of dressing ‘the first dandy and arguably the first person to elevate
men's dress to an art form’. The statue of the famous Regency dandy stands in Jermyn St, home to some of
London’s finest tailors and shirt makers. Noel aimed to produce ‘something that was elegant and artful but
had a sense of humour’. According to the milliner the resulting hat - a colourful turban - would have been
‘the predominant form of regency headwear.’
Noel Stewart learned his craft from Stephen Jones and Dai Rees and has built up an international business
making hats for designers including Roland Mouret, Marios Schwabb, Roksanda Ilincic, Erdem, Hussein
Chalayan, Richard Nicoll, Jaeger, Marc by Marc Jacobs. His private clients include celebrities such as Keira
Knightley, Lady Gaga, Florence Welch and Kylie
7. GENERAL SIR HENRY HAVELOCK
Sir Henry Havelock was a career soldier who, in the 19th century saw active service in the Peninsular War, at
Waterloo, in the Anglo Burmese War, the Afghan War and the Indian Rebellion. His austere figure dominates
Trafalgar Square, flanking Nelson’s Column alongside George IV and General Sir Charles Napier. He has been
given a new lease of life with a spectacular creation from HATWALK curator Philip Treacy.
‘He was a rather forbidding and fierce character and I really felt he could do with some cheering up:
especially since he sits in Trafalgar Square which in the build up to the games has been the focus of preolympic excitement. I thought he needed a hat that placed him at the heart of the celebrations rather than
on the outside, looking on, sternly.’
The Irish milliner studied fashion at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin and at The Royal College of
Art.He has designed hats for Alexander McQueen, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, Valentino, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio
Armani and Donna Karan.
Of his involvement as co-curator of the HATWALK project, he says, ‘this has been a unique opportunity to
highlight the incredible creative talent that we have in this country. Millinery is often an unsung aspect of the
fashion industry and yet our designers are world leaders in their craft. It is great to cast some limelight on
them at a time when the whole city is celebrating.’
He has won the title of British Accessory Designer of the Year on five occasions and was awarded an
honorary OBE for services to the British fashion industry 2007. The notorious fascinator he designed for
Princess Beatrice to wear at the royal wedding subsequently raised over £80,000 when it was sold on eBay
for charity.
8. LORD NELSON - Sold on Chanel Four’s Four Rooms.
Admiral Horatio Nelson, killed at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, is
honoured with Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. It is without
doubt London’s most iconic statue and it has dominated the city’s
scenery, unchanged, since 1840. Nelson’s Column has seen out kings,
prime ministers - and pigeons. Now, this week Nelson has been given
a brand new look - and, in turn, has added a few extra centimetres to his 51m height.
It’s all thanks to a new hat created by British heritage brand, Lock & Co. This is a stylish case of n a case of
history repeating itself, since Lock & Co made Nelson’s original hat! ‘Locks are very proud of their history and
are especially pleased to have been asked to make another hat for Nelson over 200 years after we made the
original. As an unexpected touch we’ve also incorporated the Olympic torch in the design, to echo the spirit
of the 2012 Games.’
Sylvia Fletcher, the head of Lock &Co has an enviable client list which includes The Duchess of Cambridge as
well as other members of the Royal family and luminaries of the A list both here and abroad. Her pieces have
featured in several exhibitions at the V&A. Silvia was relieved to learn that she would not have to actually be
on hand in the crane to make any final adjustments to Nelson’s hat!
9. GENERAL SIR CHARLES JAMES NAPIER
Sophie Beale, the newest of the HATWALK’s milliners, won her place on HATWALK after taking part in Grazia
Magazine’s Hat Factor millinery competition back in March. The competition was judged by Philip Treacy and
Stephen Jones, HATWALK curators; Jane Bruton, Grazia Editor-In-Chief, and Paula Reed, Style Director. And it
came as a real surprise - Sophie was only told, AFTER she had won, that her prize was to dress one of the
main statues in Trafalgar Square on a week when the eyes of the world were on the city.
Since then Sophie has risen to the challenge, and has taken her design responsibilities very seriously. Her
statue, General Sir Charles Napier, in Trafalgar Square - is on such a scale that his hat needed to be three
times larger than her usual customer’s head! The resulting galleon surrounded by crashing waves represents
Napier’s adventures on the high seas and the many shades of blue in Trafalgar Square.
Sophie Beale comes from the Isle of Wight and studied millinery at Kensington and Chelsea College. She is
‘unbelievably flattered, proud and excited to be included in HATWALK.’
10. ROBERT BURNS
Scotland’s most celebrated poet was born in 1759 and you can find him immortalised as a statue at Victoria
Embankment gardens, a beautiful secluded space facing the Thames. Young Scottish milliner William
Chambers has created a headpiece for the poet, inspired by what is arguably his most famous poem, ‘My
Love is Like a Red, Red Rose.’ The rose also happens to be a flower that has featured in many of Chamber’s
designs.
A member of the hat world’s avant garde, Chambers trained at the Scottish College of Textiles and Glasgow
Metropolitan University. He was nominated as Accessory Designer of the Year at the Scottish Fashion Awards
for 5 years running (2008-2012), winning the award in both 2010 and 2012. His celebrity fans include Roisin
Murphy, Kelis and Ana Matronic of the Scissor Sisters.
11. KING GEORGE IV
The legendary Stephen Jones, a man whose work ‘adds the exclamation mark to every fashion statement’
has created not one but two majestic creations for his plinth in Trafalgar Square – we’re talking not just a hat
for George IV but one for his horse as well! The King, who reigned from 1820 till 1830, was well known for his
lavish Regency taste, and commissioned the extravagant Brighton Pavilion as a seaside retreat and a place to
host decadent parties. There are echoes of the building’s Mughal domes in Jones’ gilded, pearl-embellished
creations.
Steven Jones, a pivotal member of the British millinery scene, is originally from Cheshire via fashion college
Central Saint Martins. He opened his first shop in 1980. His customers have included Princess Diana, Boy
George, Kylie, Gwen Stefani and Beyonce Knowles. Stephen has also created hats for a whole host of catwalk
designers from Vivienne Westwood, Jean-Paul Gaultier to John Galliano at Christian Dior. His hats form part
of the permanent collections at the V&A London and fashion museums around the world.
Stephen played a key role as curator of HATWALK. Along with co-curator Philip Treacy, Stephen handpicked
HATWALK’S milliners. They assigned the statues to the milliners with a view to highlighting London’s rich
history, as well as showcasing the talent of Britain’s world renowned millinery talent
12. SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN
Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842 –1900) is best known as one half of the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership, composers
of comic operas such as HMS Pinnafore and The Pirates of Penzance. Sir Arthur presented a challenge for
London Milliner Gina Foster who admitted she is more used to the sort of VIPs who attended last year’s
Royal Wedding (she dressed 25 guest’s heads) than the theatrical hall of fame. She explained; ‘Sir Arthur
Sullivan is certainly a far cry from my usual clients'. Gina took inspiration for the headpiece from his Japanese
comic opera, The Mikado. The statue sits on the Embankment close to the Savoy Theatre where the work
was first performed. It’s been great fun to do something completely different – although I’m not sure ‘The
Mikado’ style will be appearing at Ascot next year!’
Gina Foster trained under Noel Stewart and Stephen Jones and studied millinery at Kensington and Chelsea
College. She now creates two collections a year under her own name providing hats for the most glittering
events in the social calendar
13. THE LADY
The red hat worn by Sir Arthur Sullivan’s muse, the Weeping Lady, was the created by milliner, Victoria
Grant. A great fan of Gilbert and Sullivan, Victoria was thrilled to have an excuse to listen to the opera on
repeat for inspiration while working on the hat.
Victoria used a rich red – ‘the most patriotic colour I could summon’ to represent Britain, which she describes
‘as the global home of millinery. There there is a real camaraderie [between milliners]here. We are like one
united family. We each have such different, individual styles. It’s a rich tapestry of mixed creativity and each
of us has something unique to offer’
Victoria Grant’s luxury millinery range is adored by A-listers Daphne Guinness, Lady Gaga, Kate Moss and
Annie Lennox and couturiers Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaultier alike. Her work features regularly on the
pages of the glossy magazines and is stocked by Harvey Nichols.
14. ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL
The unrivalled master of Haute Coiffure, Charlie Le Mindu has produced a hat for the statue of celebrated
engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel which stands on the Victoria Embankment. Among his many innovations,
Brunel was famous for revolutionising shipping by championing the use of propeller-driven vessels over the
preferred paddle wheels of the time. Brunel’s record breaking propellers were the inspiration for Charlie’s
headpiece.
Wigmaker and hatter, Charlie, who studied at the French Hair Academy before making his mark on the
London scene, was thrilled to participate in HATWALK, saying ‘it’s an amazing opportunity and so much fun
to make a hat for a project like this. And to have access to a such a statue like this is an incredible honour’. It
also brings Charlie a step closer to his ultimate dream -‘to create a wig and hat for the Eiffel Tower’
15. FRANCIS 5TH DUKE OF BEDFORD
Piers Atkinson, the multi-talented London hat maker, was put to the task of dressing Francis, 5th Duke of
Bedford. The Duke surveys tranquil Bloomsbury, an area of London where he once lived and which he
developed into a residential area following the demolition of his family seat, Bedford House. Piers was
inspired by traffic cones for his design – ‘the traditional headgear of choice for statues!’ He explained, ‘I am
thrilled to be able to play a part in this exhibition for a number of reasons; it is the most eccentric project I
have ever been asked to be part of. I am also thrilled to be in such good company; Philip Treacy, Stephen
Jones and all the HATWALK Milliners’.
The orange PVC fedora with a metallic bow and a pigeon on the top puts the duke in the illustrious company
of Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Shirley Bassey, Kelis, Christina Aguilera and Anna Dello Russo – just a few of Pier’s
other clients.
16. CHARLES JAMES FOX
Milliner, Pip Hackett, threw herself into researching ‘the wonderful Mr Fox’ who sits in Bloomsbury Square.
Discovering he was ‘a wonderful communicator, historian, connoisseur, with an 18th Century wit, a real
prankster... a man of the people who was responsible for the abolition of the slave trade,' Pip was
determined to honour his achievements. So she created a grand bonnet, blue for the Whig party and green
for the foliage of the square, where she imagined him coining the phrase, “Nothing is more delightful than to
lie under a tree, in the summer, with a book, except to lie under a tree, in the summer, without a book”
Originally trained in Millinery at the Royal College of Art, Pip Hackett has collaborated with numerous
designers from Thierry Mugler to Hardy Amies. Her hats have graced the heads of celebrities such as Scarlett
Johansson to Erin O’Connor.
17. YOUNG LOVERS
The Young Lovers is a sculpture of two figures embracing. You’ll find them in the Festival Gardens in the
South-East of St Paul’s Cathedral. The monument was made by Georg Ehrlich in 1973. The queen of British
millinery, Shirley Hex, has created two striking blue headpieces for the lovers, in keeping with the
herbaceous borders in Festival Gardens.
Shirley Hex is a legend in the world of millinery, having taught both Stephen Jones and Phillip Treacy, both
HATWALK curators. She has made hats for the Queen and the late Princess Diana. At the time of the Royal
wedding in 1981, she explained the appeal of a well-made hat thus, ‘We're British - hats are just what we do’
18. QUEEN VICTORIA
Would Queen Victoria have approved of her hat from contemporary milliner J Smith Esquire? With his flair
for the gothic and her preference for dressing head to toe in widow’s black, HATWALK curators Philip Treacy
and Stephen Jones thought that the designer and his muse were well-matched. The imposing statue of our
longest reigning monarch at Blackfriars has been given a lift with a resplendent confection by Justin Smith.
Justin has been creating both classic hats and couture pieces under his own brand, J Smith Esquire, for over
five years. His diffusion line is Mister Smith. With a background in hairdressing, Justin has won plaudits for his
use of innovative materials and has sewed, knitted, beaded, embroidered, painted, sculpted onto everything
from silver wire to tattooed pigskin for his creations. Trained at the RCA in Millinery, he has worked for
Moschino, Manish Arora, Carolyn Massey and Aminaka Wilmont and is now a visiting lecturer at his old
college.
19. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH
Distinguished hat-maker Edwina Ibbotson accepted the challenge of designing a hat for 17th century
adventurer and soldier Captain John Smith, immortalised in the churchyard of St Mary Le Bow in the City of
London. Legend has it that Captain Smith owed his life to the Indian Princess Pocahontas after she rescued
him from execution in Virginia, USA, so Edwina has created a hat out of leather, a popular fabric of the time.
She used trimmings of feathers, shells and a bird’s tale in gold, silver and bronze to represent the Olympics.
Edwina has been designing and creating bespoke hats, headdresses and fascinators for more than 20 years.
She studied photography and film at art college but switched to millinery, qualifying at FIT in New York and
London College of Fashion.
20. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Milliner and bookworm, Emma Fielden, returned to Shakespeare’s plays to find inspiration for her hat for the
baird’s statue in the City of London. She chose ‘one of my favourite Shakespearian tragedies, Antony and
Cleopatra’. Cleopatra is figuratively identified with the 'fickle' moon, and Antony is identified as the 'constant'
sun’ –a sparkling mirrored halo. The hat is made of mirrored gold and silver Perspex, and emblazoned with
the words 'constant sun' and 'fleeting moon' in Swarovski crystals. The surface will reflect the sun and moon
(and other weather) in real time.
Emma Fielden studied fashion at Cheltenham School of Art before specializing in millinery at Kensington and
Chelsea College. She set up her own label 15 years ago, is stocked in Harrods and counts Roisin Murphy,
Cerys Matthews, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Dannii Minogue among her clientele.
21. 1ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON
Ian Bennett compares his work to ‘wearable sculpture’ but he had to admit he has never had a subject quite
as imposing as the Duke of Wellington to work on. You can find the grand duke riding horseback at Bank, in
the City of London. Ian took the Duke’s trademark bicorn hat as his starting point and gave it a 21st Century
twist. Ian described HATWALK as a great showcase for British Millinery ‘from the classic to crazy, going 'head
to head' with heroic London sculpture… this project is a great way of addressing two sides of London: the
historic and the dynamically modern.’
Ian Bennett did an MA in Millinery at the RCA, where, in his first year, his ‘sculptural collapsible headwear’
won him the Karl Lagerfeld scholarship. His clients include Madonna and Alison Goldfrapp. He has also
collaborated with designers Boudicca, Thierry Mugler, Red or Dead, Tristan Webber, Hamish Morrow and
Sarah 'blue' Farrier.