The making of Stephen Jones’s illustrious career
Few milliners have topped as many famous heads as Stephen Jones OBE. Ahead of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Jones shares his hat wisdom.
Stephen Jones is recounting a recent moment of unbridled creation. “A few moments before the haute couture show at Thom Browne …” he explains, the team decided “it would be more interesting if the masks actually floated above the head, rather than on the face. [But] how to achieve that?”
The challenge was just another day in the life of the legendary milliner, whose bread and butter is making the impossible come to life. This recent example, at the haute couture debut of the luminous Browne in July, adds another feather to his very well crafted cap, or beret, or trilby, depending on the day. Blazing a trail in the pulsating London club scene of the 1980s, he is today the most called-upon milliner to royalty, musicians and racegoers. As headwear takes over the runway of late, it has been a boon to milliners for race day. Jones has the inside word on how to come out on top this spring racing season.
VOGUE AUSTRALIA: We are seeing an emphasis on headwear return to the runways. What do you attribute this to?
STEPHEN JONES: “Putting a hat on shows individuality. It’s the same for dress designers that use a hat in a show – it makes those quite simple clothes suddenly identifiable.”
VA: Which silhouettes and headwear, hats and accessories feel contemporary to you?
SJ: “I think it’s the variety which is contemporary and there is not one fashion. On the runway, just having a hat of any description is often a statement enough, but in racewear, the statement should be louder and more individual.”
VA: It feels the time is now to fully embrace millinery. What is the best way to push yourself outside your comfort zone?
SJ: “Try it on back-to-front! Experiment! Millinery is a learning process so just go out there and see what the different milliners are doing. Each hat can bring out a different side and facet of your personality. Live the moment.”
VA: Millinery can be viewed by some as traditional. As someone who has created at the forefront of fashion throughout your career, how would you challenge this notion?
SJ: “I think timescale is not relevant to fashion. For me, it’s always been interesting that there is a historic reference to it, but to make something new is much more challenging and exciting.”
VA: You’ve made bespoke creations for the true originals in the realms of fashion, music and royalty. What did they teach you about creativity and accessories as self-expression?
SJ: “For royalty, it’s mostly being correctly dressed and not led by fashion, and the fact you’re wearing a hat at all sends a very strong message. For pop stars, it can be part of the handwriting of their performance. Hats are an incredibly important tool to the music and the staging and the overall impression.”
VA: Hat, clothes, accessories, colour – which to choose first?
SJ: “Get inspiration from the hat but buy the dress first and then go back and buy the hat.”
VA: A hat makes the outfit because …?
SJ: “Clothing becomes fashion when there is a hat involved.”
Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field returns for 2023 and is also open to international racing and fashion followers via digital entries. Go to mccfashionsonthefield.com.
This article appears in the October issue of Vogue Australia, on sale now.
