Stephen Jones - Chapeaux Artiste, Palais Galleria

 

Yesterday 

I went to the preview of British hat artist, 

Stephen Jones at Palais Galleria.

Probably the HOT 🔥 (fashion) show of the Paris 🍁 season.

400 works in the exhibition - Jone’s famous red wool beret for Lady Diana.

Including more than 170 hats.

As a young boy Stephen Jones was mad about Paris after trips with his family to France 🇫🇷 - his sequin beret topped with an Eiffel Tower. 

The exhibition focuses on Jones close ties with French Couture 🧵 

He collaborated with designers Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, 

Thierry Mugler, Comme des Garçons, Louis Vuitton, Claude Montana etc. I wish the Palais Galleria did not place black pieces against black walls 🙏 Is this a French thing? 🫤 MAD/musee des arts décoratifs does it too, making it difficult to photograph 📷

A room midway in the exhibition illustrates with window boxes

Jones’ brilliant creative process from research 

To first sketches. LOVE ❤️ this hat made of sketches ✍️

To first fabrics to first shapes 

To the final creation. This room alone is worth the price of admission. 

Plus a video in Fr/Eng as Jones creates a special occasion hat for a demanding client. Jones says,“The British want Frenchy hats & the French want British-styled hats!”

There is always lightness, wit and whimsy to Jones’ hats like this triple Mad Hatter’s hat 🎩 In 2012, I showed Jones’ exhibit in New York at Bard Center.

The UK celebrates 🎉 designer Jones with a special stamp 🍾

You can buy your own Stephen Jones perfect beret in the Galleria museum shop (59€)

I haven’t begun to show what’s in this exhibition. I hope you get to visit the Palais Galleria - it’s on till March 3, 2025.

I left the Galleria a tad blitzed in the drizzle…

Across the street at patisserie Cyril Lignac. 

The Pastries all looked like hats! The shapes are perfect non? Bonne Vendredi dear PBers 🎩 👒 🧢 

If you want to know how to buy a Paris hat read this.