Stephen Jones (milliner)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Stephen Jones
OBE
Born
Wirral Peninsula, Cheshire, England
EducationLiverpool College, Saint Martin's School of Art
Labels
  • Stephen Jones
  • Miss Jones
  • JonesGirl
AwardsOrder of the British Empire,(OBE)

Stephen Jones

Dior and Vivienne Westwood.[2] His work is known for its inventiveness and high level of technical expertise.[3] Jones co-curated the 2009 exhibition Hats: An Anthology for the Victoria and Albert Museum.[4]

Early life

Stephen Jones was born on the

National Trust properties around the North West.[5]

He studied art at foundation level at the

fashion industry.[1] This led him to apply to study fashion design under Bobby Hillson,[6] at the Saint Martin's School of Art, London, where he was the sole male student in his year.[5] Although he enjoyed being taught by Peter Lewis Crown, the designer-owner of the London couture house Lachasse, he had little prior sewing experience, and so in order to develop his skills Crown secured Jones a summer placement in Lachasse's tailoring workroom.[5]

Jones soon requested a transfer to the next-door millinery department presided over by

petrol station in the 1960s.[5][7] In his innocence, Jones had not realised that millinery flowers were traditionally made of silk, but Hex approved the hat, commenting on the flower's modernity.[5] Between 1976 and 1979 Jones spent his summer breaks working for Hex and learning about millinery methods and techniques.[5] Through hats he developed a keen interest in fashion history, particularly the drama and exaggerated glamour of the 1950s.[5]

Jones left Saint Martin's in 1979, the same year that he became a regular attendee of London's Blitz nightclub in

stiletto heels.[8] Many of the Blitz Kids became his first clients, with Jones creating outlandish hats for them to wear to the club.[1][8]

Millinery career

Jones designed a line of hats for Fiorucci in 1979.[9] In 1980, Blitz's owner Steve Strange provided financial backing for Jones' first millinery salon, which opened nearby in the basement of the trendy store PX, Endell Street, Covent Garden on 1 October.[1][9] It was an instant success, with Jones commenting in 2008: "Overnight, I had a business".[7] On New Year's Eve 1980, Jones had his head shaved by drunk friends, leading him to discover that without hair, his head was a perfect woman's stock size, and that he could become his own fit model, developing all his ideas and designs upon himself.[7]

1982 saw Jones' first Paris fashion show and his first televised show (for the

Tatler, the first time his work had featured on a magazine cover; the hat is now in the V&A.[3][9]

Jones relocated his studio to Lexington Street in 1984. That year, Jean Paul Gaultier invited him to Paris to make hats for his show, his first designs for a Paris couturier, and he also made hats for Thierry Mugler.[9][10] After their second show together, Gaultier ensured that Jones received full credit for his hats, therefore ensuring that the Paris fashion world was made aware of his work.[11] In 1984 he also sold his first designs to a department store, Bloomingdale's in New York.[9]

Jones was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.[12]

Collections

This is a list of Stephen Jones' bi-annual hat collections since 1980. The collections from Fall 1981 to Fall 1984 were unnamed.[9]

  • 1980: Fall-Winter: First Collection
  • 1981: Spring-Summer: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
  • 1985: Spring-Summer: Point Zero  • Fall-Winter: For The Heart of Woman and the Soul of Man
  • 1986: Spring-Summer: Passport to Pleasure  • Fall-Winter: Heads of State
  • 1987: Spring-Summer: She  • Fall-Winter: Stephen Jones World +
  • 1988: Spring-Summer: Sunset on Suburbia  • Fall-Winter: Room Service
  • 1989: Spring-Summer: Ole Steamy  • Fall-Winter: Forty Five Degrees
  • 1990: Spring-Summer: Passion on the Pampas  • Fall-Winter: In Orbit
  • 1991: Spring-Summer: Shriek With Chic  • Fall-Winter: Glamé
  • 1992: Spring-Summer: The Devil is a Woman  • Fall-Winter: Norma Desmond Lives
  • 1993: Spring-Summer: Souvenirs  • Fall-Winter: Xanadu
  • 1994: Spring-Summer: Miss World  • Fall-Winter: Rococo Futura
  • 1995: Spring-Summer: Legasty • Fall-Winter: Les Girls
  • 1996: Spring-Summer: Untitled '96  • Fall-Winter: Contours
  • 1997: Spring-Summer: Lotus Eaters  • Fall-Winter: Murder by Millinery
  • 1998: Spring-Summer: E=mc2  • Fall-Winter: Millinery Computer
  • 1999: Spring-Summer: Pic 'n' Mix  • Fall-Winter: Celebrations
  • 2000: Spring-Summer: Nursery  • Fall-Winter: Blah Blah Blah
  • 2001: Spring-Summer: Icon  • Fall-Winter: Queens
  • 2002: Spring-Summer: High  • Fall-Winter: North
  • 2003: Spring-Summer: South  • Fall-Winter: Poseur
  • 2004: Spring-Summer: Hollywood Regency  • Fall-Winter: La Prima Donna
  • 2005: Spring-Summer: Handmade in England  • Fall-Winter: Jubilee
  • 2006: Spring-Summer: Travelogue  • Fall-Winter: Time Travel
  • 2007: Spring-Summer: Artifice  • Fall-Winter: Shangri-La
  • 2008: Spring-Summer: Desert Rose  • Fall-Winter: Covent Garden
  • 2009: Spring-Summer: Albertopolis  • Fall-Winter: VandA
  • 2010: Spring-Summer: ABC  • Fall-Winter: XYZ
  • 2011: Spring-Summer: Drifting and Dreaming  • Fall-Winter: Topsy Turvy
  • 2012: Spring-Summer: Chinoiserie-on-Sea  • Fall-Winter: This is Tomorrow
  • 2013: Spring-Summer: West  • Fall-Winter: Art School
  • 2014: Spring-Summer: Carte Blanche  • Fall-Winter: Garbo-Gabo
  • 2015: Spring-Summer: Hot House  • Fall-Winter: Hatsville USA
  • 2016: Spring-Summer: The Perfect Hat for...  • Fall-Winter: Soho
  • 2017: Spring-Summer: Shade  • Fall-Winter: Haute Couture & Pret-a-Porter
  • 2018: Spring-Summer: Hats  • Fall-Winter: Crowns
  • 2019: Spring-Summer: Parfum  • Fall-Winter: #tophat
  • 2020: Spring-Summer: 123  • Fall-Winter: Its About Time
  • 2021: Spring-Summer: Analogue Fairydust  • Fall-Winter: French Kiss
  • 2022: Spring-Summer: Bonnes Vacances  • Fall-Winter: Playlist

In 1988 Jones moved again, to Heddon Street. His salon and workshop are based on Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, London as of 2013.

Diffusion lines and non-millinery designs

In 1990, Jones launched a Miss Jones diffusion line for hats, and in 1993, this was followed by Jonesgirl which is exclusive to Japan. The Stephen Jones brand has had a strong presence in Japan since 1990, when Jones struck a licensing deal for T-shirts, cosmetic bags, and handkerchiefs to be manufactured there under his name; this was followed by Stephen Jones Kimonos in 1991, gloves in 1993, sunglasses in 1992, and handbags in 2002.[9]

Jones has occasionally designed garments and accessories other than hats. In 1983 he designed dresses for

SoHo, New York and furs for Sol Feldman Furs, New York, and created his first shoe line for Sergio Rossi in 1987.[9] He has had a lasting success with his scarf range, which was launched in 1988, and continues being sold through his millinery salon as of 2009.[9] He has also experimented with non-fashion mediums, including ceramics in 1985 and interior design in 1991.[9]

Jones designed two mannequins for display at the Simone Handbag Museum in Seoul, South Korea.[13]

Design partnerships

Chanel Iman modelling a Stephen Jones hat for the Christian Dior Haute Couture fashion show, Autumn-Winter 2009–10.

In November 1996, Stephen Jones was the only British milliner to have control of a Paris

Walter van Beirendonck, in addition to multiple Galliano collections, four per season for Dior and two under Galliano's own label.[9]
Throughout his career he has designed hats for the shows of many other designers and couturiers.

Stephen Jones and popular culture

In addition to his hat collections for designers, Jones has undertaken numerous individual high-profile commissions for pop groups, musicians, actors, and other celebrities. He has also been commissioned by a number of companies to create designs for advertisements and promotions.

Music

Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? and went on to create headgear for Wham!, Wet Wet Wet, Madonna, Erasure, Bryan Ferry and Barbra Streisand.[9]

In the 1990s, his client list expanded to include

Eternal, B*Witched, All Saints, Celine Dion, and Kylie Minogue.[9]

Jones's client list expanded through the first decade of the 21st century to include the Spice Girls, Robbie Williams, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Hear'Say, Macy Gray, Björk, Steve Strange, Paul Simonon, Will Young, Pink, Tori Amos, Alison Goldfrapp, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna and Usher.[9]

He created the hats for three major tours starting in 2005: Kylie Minogue's Showgirl, Mick Jagger's A Bigger Bang and Marilyn Manson's Against All Gods.[9]

Films

Jones made the hats for

Coco avant Chanel.[9] Tautou reportedly commented during her fitting that Jones's hats made her feel like Coco Chanel, the character she was playing.[14]

Promotions

Jones' first commercial commission was for Liquifruita cough mixture in 1982, followed by the Brazilian Fruit Board in 1983.

Yardley of London, Lancôme, MAC Cosmetics, and the 2004 L'Oréal campaign featuring Beyoncé.[9] His work also features in perfume advertisements such as those for Nina Ricci's L'Air Du Temps and Parfums Christian Dior.[9]

Jones hats have been used to promote food and soft drinks, including

Boddingtons, and Martini & Rossi.[9]

A number of car companies, such as

Ariston.[9]

Hats: An Anthology

The 2009 exhibition, Hats: An Anthology, held at the V&A from 24 February 2009, was inspired by Cecil Beaton's landmark exhibition, Fashion: An Anthology, held at the V&A in 1971.[4] Beaton's exhibition showcased 1900-1971 garments donated by leading fashion designers of the 20th century and their clients, many of which entered the Museum collection afterwards, and firmly placed fashion within the Museum's remit.[4] Along with Oriole Cullen, V&A Curator of Modern Fashion and Textiles, Jones explored the collections of the V&A and other international collections such as those at the Fashion Museum, Bath and the Hollywood archives of Warner Bros.[4]

The exhibition was based predominantly upon hats from the V&A's collections and Stephen Jones's own archive, but also included loans from museums and collections around the world.

Gertrude Shilling, as well as the hats of celebrities including Dita Von Teese, Madonna, and Boy George.[4] Film millinery was also featured, such as Beaton's own designs for the stage and screen versions of My Fair Lady and hats worn by Ava Gardner and Marlene Dietrich.[4] The exhibition launched during London Fashion Week with a lavish party attended by famous clients and admirers of Jones, including Piaggi, Daphne Guinness, Peter Blake, Erin O'Connor and Daisy Lowe.[14]

The exhibition and its accompanying book (also called Hats: An Anthology) were generally well received. A month after opening, record-breaking visitor attendance figures were reported.[14] The Evening Standard gave the exhibition four stars out of five.[18] In the Toronto Star, the exhibition and book were described as a celebration and a delight.[19]

The exhibition subsequently moved to New York City to be shown at the Bard Graduate Center of Decorative Arts, Design History and Material Culture, Bard College, until Spring 2012. For this exhibition, work by New York-based milliners such as Rod Keenan, Jennifer Ouellette, and Eugenia Kim, was incorporated into the show.[20]

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Biography of Stephen Jones on the V&A Museum website, accessed 1 April 2009
  2. ^ Hats: An Anthology microsite on the V&A Museum website, accessed 1 April 2009
  3. ^ a b Stephen Jones spiral hat in the V&A collections online database. Accessed 3 April 2009
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Hats: An Anthology information page Archived 17 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine on the V&A Museum website, accessed 1 April 2009
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-1-85177-557-6
    .
  6. ^ Sherwood, James (19 February 2007). "I taught them a lesson ; As fashion's most formidable mistress, she mentored McQueen, oversaw Ozbek and goaded the great Galliano". The Independent. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  7. ^ a b c Limnander, Armand; "The Headliner: Stephen Jones makes waves as well as cloches", for The New York Times, 17 August 2008. Accessed 3 April 2009
  8. ^ a b Nikkhah, Roya; "And Now For Stephen Jones's Crowning Glory", in The Independent, 26 November 2008
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Stephen Jones' CV Archived 27 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, as posted on his official website. Accessed 2 April 2009
  10. ^ St Germans, Catherine; Milliner Stephen Jones explains his latest exhibition at the V&A, for The Daily Telegraph, 3 February 2009; accessed 8 April 2009
  11. ^ Monsef, Gity; Interview with Stephen Jones for Iqons, 23 August 2008. Accessed 8 April 2009
  12. ^ "No. 59282". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2009. p. 10.
  13. ^ "Bags of History". Financial Times. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  14. ^ a b c d Johansson, Lottie; "A world of hats at the cup", for The National (Abu Dhabi), 25 March 2009. Accessed 2 April 2009
  15. ^ Frankel, Susannah, "Tweed running shoes? Darling, that's absolutely fabulous" for The Independent, 26 June 2004; accessed 3 April 2009
  16. ^ Bond, Gavin, And to top it all, a hat from Mr Jones, for The Independent, 24 March 1995. Accessed 8 April 2009
  17. ^ Stockley, Philippa; "Hats off to the decadence in V&A" Evening Standard 25 February 2009. Accessed 1 April 2009
  18. ^ Livingstone, David; "A tip of the hat to its fabled past" for The Toronto Star, 12 March 2009. Accessed 1 April 2009
  19. ^ "Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones September 15, 2011 – April 15, 2012". Bard Graduate Center. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
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