The secret ingredient form any of the famous legacy brands presenting–the millinery designs of Philip Treacy. The transformative hats of Philip Treacy have long graced the finest runways and red carpet searing him the Vogue moniker of “perhaps the greatest living milliner”. From his first solo show in 1993 to be coming the first milliner in 80 years invited to exhibit at the Haute Couture presentations, Treacy has applied his singular eye for construction to the difficult task of creating connective touch points between garment, beauty styling, and collection narrative.
This talent sparked countless decade – long collaborations with fashion legends such as Lagerfeld, Valentino, Versace and his special bond with Alexander McQueen ,for all of whom, he became an integral element to bringing fashion fantasy to fruition.In all his work Treacy shows a genius for balance, both technically and emotionally. His natural instincts for sculpture are displayed by weighing the fit and proportions of a hat against the lines of the face or silhouette, creating seamless extensions of the body and defining what it is to dress “from head to toe”.
Similarly, his ability to balance and navigate time is mesmerising. Frequently inspired by the past, be it artistic movements like surrealism, or historical imagery, Treacy always strikes the perfect tone between nostalgia and modern boldness. In speaking toWomen’s Wear Daily he explained
“I want to inspire young people to wear hats and to think of hats as something modern. In our parents’ generation to wear a hat used to be to conform, now to wear a hat is to rebel.”
Words by Elly Azizian