Entering the fashion industry in the late 1970s amid the street style explosion after being born in Cheshire and attending school in Liverpool, Stephen Jones was a student at St Martin’s by day and one of that era’s unyielding style trailblazers at the legendary Blitz nightclub by night. He was invariably capped with a spectacular hat of his own unique design. And this is how it all started.
In the heart of London’s Covent Garden, Jones had already established his first millinery salon by the year 1980. When everyone from rock stars to royalty, including Boy George and Diana, Princess of Wales, recognized Jones as the milliner who could assist them garner attention-grabbing headlines, those facilities quickly turned into a place of pilgrimage and patronage. Near the location of his original millinery salon, Jones’ retail boutique, design studio, and workroom are all housed in a lovely Georgian townhouse today. He creates the widely available Miss Jones and JonesBoy diffusion lines in addition to his Model Millinery brand.
He was the curator of the wildly successful exhibition “Hats, an Anthology by Stephen Jones” that broke attendance records worldwide in 2009 at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Louvre in Paris also have collections of his hats. Jones worked with influential brands such as Christian Dior, Edward Crutchley, John Alexander Skelton, Matty Bovan, Moschino, Schiaparelli, and Tom Browne.
His most recent collection “El Morocco” was inspired by Stephen’s recent visit to Marrakech, and the famous New York 50’s nightclub, El Morocco. In these masterpieces, you may find contemporary turbans and caps that serve as sun protection in the collection, which interpret the drama of the desert. During the 1980s, when Jean Paul Gaultier noticed Stephen in the music video for Culture Club’s song “Do you really want to hurt me?” he called him to design headwear for his legendary winter collection of 1984. Fez silhouettes, which have been warped and altered, have become a code of the house. This season, Khalid Benkaroum, a Moroccan artist, and Stephen worked together to produce an exclusive poster for the collection that featured an allegory of Morocco and El Morocco in vibrant hues sprinkled with his inimitable humor.
A recent important collaboration was the one made with Dior, along with Maria Grazia Chiuri, Raf Simons, and John Galliano. Jones stated “I could not have fashioned this book without the inspiration of Monsieur Dior, who believed so strongly that hats were a part of the complete silhouette. As well as Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan & Gianfranco Ferre; the designers who kept this ethos alive when they were custodians of the house.” The book Dior Hats revisits opulent moments, from Monsieur Dior’s magnificent hats to those that complemented haute couture silhouettes by Yves Saint Laurent, florals by Marc Bohan, magnificent, wide-brimmed hats by Gianfranco Ferré, luxurious confections by John Galliano, poetic masterpieces by Raf Simons, and feather headpieces by Maria Grazia Chiuri. This fundamental is highlighted in a collection of unique, never-before-published photos by Slve Sundb, as well as iconic pictures by the top fashion photographers. A celebration of excellence in its purest form.
Stephen Jones has gained undeniable success, along with undeniable unique and spectacular taste and creativity while talking about his creations. Gaining recognition fast and working with worldwide famous brands and designers as well as curating outstanding exhibitions are just a few remarkable moments the designer and brand achieved.
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