Stephen Jones

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(born 1957) is a British milliner based in London, who is considered one of the most radical and important milliners of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He is also one of the most prolific, having created hats for the catwalk shows of many leading couturiers and fashion designers, such as

John Galliano John Charles Galliano (born 28 November 1960) is a British fashion designer from Gibraltar. He was the creative director of his eponymous label John Galliano and French fashion houses Givenchy and Dior. Since 2014, Galliano has been the creat ...

Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds 42.36% shar ...

and

Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (née Swire; born 8 April 1941) is an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. Westwood came to public notice when she ...

.Hats: An Anthology microsite
on the V&A Museum website, accessed 1 April 2009 His work is known for its inventiveness and high level of technical expertise.Stephen Jones spiral hat
in the V&A collections online database. Accessed 3 April 2009 Jones co- curated the 2009 exhibition ''Hats: An Anthology'' for the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and ...

.Hats: An Anthology information page
on the V&A Museum website, accessed 1 April 2009

Early life

Stephen Jones was born on the

Wirral Peninsula Wirral (; ), known locally as The Wirral, is a peninsula in North West England. The roughly rectangular peninsula is about long and wide and is bounded by the River Dee to the west (forming the boundary with Wales), the River Mersey to th ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's coun ...

and educated at

Liverpool College Liverpool College is a school in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, England. It was one of the thirteen founding members of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, Headmasters' Conference (HMC). History Liverpool College was the first of man ...

. From an early age, his mother instilled in him an appreciation of art by taking him around the

Walker Art Gallery The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group. History of the Gallery The Walker Art Gallery's collection ...

, Speke Hall, and to

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

properties around the North West.Jones, Stephen, ''A Personal View'', for He studied art at foundation level at the High Wycombe College of Art. In 1975 he travelled to London to see the exhibition ''Fashion from 1900-1939'' at the V&A, which inspired him to pursue a career in the

fashion industry Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashio ...

.Biography of Stephen Jones
on the V&A Museum website, accessed 1 April 2009 This led him to apply to study

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer creates c ...

under Bobby Hillson, at the

Saint Martin's School of Art Saint Martin's School of Art was an art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's became part of ...

, London, where he was the sole male student in his year. 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. Jones soon requested a transfer to the next-door millinery department presided over by Shirley Hex, but was told he had to make a hat from scratch first. The hat he eventually submitted, his first original millinery creation, was a cardboard pillbox covered in blue crêpe de Chine and trimmed with a plastic iris, sprayed silver that his mother had received as a free gift from a

petrol station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoli ...

in the 1960s. 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. Between 1976 and 1979 Jones spent his summer breaks working for Hex and learning about millinery methods and techniques. Through hats he developed a keen interest in fashion history, particularly the drama and exaggerated glamour of the 1950s. Jones left Saint Martin's in 1979, the same year that he became a regular attendee of London's ''Blitz'' nightclub in

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

for New Romantics and fans of

new wave music New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. Late ...

. Jones had been a Punk while at St Martins, but keenly embraced the New Romantic movement as its drawing of inspiration from historical dress resonated with his thinking. As one of the " Blitz Kids", he hung out with the likes of

Spandau Ballet Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European D ...

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger Taylor the following year the band wen ...

, Isabella Blow, and

Jean Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 April 1952) is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an " enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs including cors ...

; and shared a house with

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...

and

Grayson Perry Grayson Perry (born 1960) is an English contemporary artist, writer and broadcaster. He is known for his ceramic vases, tapestries, and cross-dressing, as well as his observations of the contemporary arts scene, and for dissecting British "pr ...

, competing with them to wear the most outrageous outfits to Blitz, including a pinstripe suit with

stiletto heels A stiletto heel, or just stiletto, is a shoe with a long, thin, high heel. It is named after the stiletto dagger. Stiletto heels may vary in length from 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) to 25 cm (10 inches) or more if a platform so ...

.Nikkhah, Roya
"And Now For Stephen Jones's Crowning Glory"
in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...

'', 26 November 2008 Many of the Blitz Kids became his first clients, with Jones creating outlandish hats for them to wear to the club.

Millinery career

Jones designed a line of hats for Fiorucci in 1979. In 1980, Blitz's owner

Steve Strange Stephen John Harrington (28 May 1959 – 12 February 2015), known professionally as Steve Strange, was a Welsh singer. From the late 1970s he was a nightclub host and promoter. He became famous as the leader of the new wave synth-pop group V ...

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.Stephen Jones' CV
, as posted on his official website. Accessed 2 April 2009 It was an instant success, with Jones commenting in 2008: "Overnight, I had a business". 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 A fit model (sometimes fitting model) is a person who is used by a fashion designer or clothing manufacturer to check the fit, drape and visual appearance of a design on a 'real' human being, effectively acting as a live mannequin. A person is sel ...

, developing all his ideas and designs upon himself.Limnander, Armand
"The Headliner: Stephen Jones makes waves as well as cloches"
for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 17 August 2008. Accessed 3 April 2009 1982 saw Jones' first Paris fashion show and his first televised show (for the BBC's ''Riverside'') By this point, he was able to count Diana, Princess of Wales as a regular customer, in addition to his clients from ''Blitz'', and had a hat commissioned by the Victoria & Albert Museum for their newly refurbished Costume Court. This was the beginning of Jones' long and fruitful relationship with the V&A, culminating in the ''Hats: An Anthology'' exhibition of 2009 that he co-curated with Oriole Cullen. One of his hats appeared on the December 1982 cover of ''

Tatler ''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...

'', the first time his work had featured on a magazine cover; the hat is now in the V&A. Jones relocated his studio to Lexington Street in 1984. That year,

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 Manfred Thierry Mugler (; 21 December 1948 – 23 January 2022) was a French fashion designer, creative director and creative adviser of Mugler. In the 1970s, Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the fo ...

.St Germans, Catherine;
Milliner Stephen Jones explains his latest exhibition at the V&A
', for ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'', 3 February 2009; accessed 8 April 2009 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.Monsef, Gity
Interview with Stephen Jones
for ''Iqons'', 23 August 2008. Accessed 8 April 2009 In 1984 he also sold his first designs to a department store,

Bloomingdale's Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain; it was founded in New York City by Joseph B. and Lyman G. Bloomingdale in 1861. A third brother, Emanuel Watson Bloomingdale, was also involved in the business. It became a divi ...

in New York. Jones was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.

Collections

This is a list of Stephen Jones' bi-annual hat collections since 1980. The collections from Fall 1981 to Fall 1984 were unnamed. * 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. Jones has occasionally designed garments and accessories other than hats. In 1983 he designed dresses for Susanne Bartsch's shop in

SoHo Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develo ...

, New York and furs for Sol Feldman Furs, New York, and created his first shoe line for Sergio Rossi in 1987. 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. He has also experimented with non-fashion mediums, including ceramics in 1985 and interior design in 1991. Jones designed two mannequins for display at the

Simone Handbag Museum The Simone Handbag Museum in Seoul, South Korea, is a museum dedicated to handbags. 300 bags are on display at the museum, dating from 1550 to the present day. The museum is divided into two halves, Twentieth Century and Contemporary, and Historic ...

in Seoul, South Korea.

Design partnerships

In November 1996, Stephen Jones was the only British milliner to have control of a Paris haute couture millinery studio, or ''atelier de la modiste'', making hats for Galliano's high-profile couture shows at Dior. He has worked with Galliano since 1993. Jones also created

's iconic

Harris Tweed Harris Tweed, (''Clò Mór'' or ''Clò Hearach'' in Gaelic) is a tweed (cloth), tweed cloth that is Weaving, handwoven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool ...

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

of 1987.Gallery of Stephen Jones designs
on the official website, accessed 3 April 2009 Since the 1980s his hats have been in great demand for multiple shows per season. For the Paris collections in early 1995 alone, he was creating human-hair hats for

Nicolas Ghesquière Nicolas Ghesquière (; born 9 May 1971) is a French-Belgian fashion designer who has been the women's creative director of the house of Louis Vuitton (owned by LVMH) since 2013. Early life Ghesquière was born in Comines, Nord, the younger o ...

's first collection at

Balenciaga Balenciaga SA ( ) is a luxury fashion house founded in 1919 by the Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastian, Spain. Balenciaga produces ready-to-wear, footwear, handbags, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to ...

and designs for Peter O'Brien at Marcel Rochas and Claude Montana as well as Galliano.Bond, Gavin,
And to top it all, a hat from Mr Jones
', for ''The Independent'', 24 March 1995. Accessed 8 April 2009 In 2008, he made hats for

Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was ...

, L'Wren Scott,

Basso & Brooke Basso & Brooke is a fashion label formed by Bruno Basso and Christopher Brooke. Bruno Basso was born in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil. Christopher Brooke was born in Newark-on-Trent, UK. After meeting in 2001, they produced their first collectio ...

, Comme des Garçons, Giles Deacon, Loewe, Pollini and Walter van Beirendonck, in addition to multiple Galliano collections, four per season for Dior and two under Galliano's own label. 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

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a model, singer and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for ...

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV Generation, MTV generation and is one of the List ...

, Spandau Ballet and

Culture Club Culture Club are an English pop band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George (lead vocals), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), Mikey Craig (bass guitar) and formerly included Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Emerging in the New R ...

were among Jones's first high-profile celebrity clients in the 1980s. Jones made a personal appearance in the Culture Club video ''

Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" is a song written and performed by English new wave band Culture Club. Released as a single in September 1982 from the group's platinum-selling debut album, '' Kissing to Be Clever'' (1982), it was the band's fir ...

'' and went on to create headgear for

Wham! Wham! (briefly known in the US as Wham! U.K.) were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981. The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They became one of the most commercially successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling more ...

Wet Wet Wet Wet Wet Wet are a Scottish soft rock band formed in 1982. They scored a number of hits in the UK charts and around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. They are best known for their 1994 cover of The Troggs' 1960s hit " Love Is All Around", which ...

, Madonna,

Erasure Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member ...

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ''The Independent'', Ferry and ...

and

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

. In the 1990s, his client list expanded to include

Monie Love Simone Johnson or Simone Gooden (born 2 July 1970), better known by her stage name Monie Love, is a British rapper, actress and radio personality from London. Best known for her singles during the late–1980s through the 1990s, Monie Love curre ...

Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreograp ...

, U2,

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

, Cappella, New Order,

Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. H ...

, Billy Ray Martin,

Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead sin ...

Belinda Carlisle Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist. Raised in ...

Mike + The Mechanics Mike and the Mechanics (stylised as Mike + The Mechanics) is an English rock supergroup formed in Dover in 1985 by Mike Rutherford, initially as a side project during a hiatus period for his earlier group Genesis. The band is known for hit sin ...

Skunk Anansie Skunk Anansie are a British rock band whose members include Skin (lead vocals, guitar), Cass (bass, guitar, backing vocals), Ace (guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Richardson (drums and percussion). Skunk Anansie formed in 1994, disbanded in ...

, Eternal,

B*Witched B*Witched are an Irish girl group consisting of twin sisters Edele and Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O'Carroll. Originally active between 1997 and 2002, they enjoyed success in both Europe and North America between 1998 and 2002, ...

, All Saints,

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

, and

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

. Jones's client list expanded through the first decade of the 21st century to include the

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vi ...

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stu ...

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded Ellis-Bextor went solo and ach ...

Hear'Say Hear'Say were a British pop group. They were created through the ITV reality TV show ''Popstars'' in February 2001, the first UK series of the international ''Popstars'' franchise. The group, who were signed to Polydor Records, originally con ...

Macy Gray Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday. Gray ha ...

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

, Paul Simonon,

Will Young William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the ITV talent contest '' Pop Idol'', making him the first winner of the worldwide '' Idol ...

Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

, Alison Goldfrapp,

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice o ...

, Rihanna and

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...

. He created the hats for three major tours starting in 2005: Kylie Minogue's ''

Showgirl A showgirl is a female dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show intended to showcase the performer's physical attributes, typically by way of revealing clothing, toplessness, or nudity. History Showgirls date back to the late 180 ...

'',

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

's '' A Bigger Bang'' and

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...

's ''Against All Gods''.

Films

Jones made the hats for

Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. In 2011, the government of France made ...

in ''

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her ...

'', and also provided hats to '' Beverly Hills Cop II'' and ''

Entrapment Entrapment is a practice in which a law enforcement agent or agent of the state induces a person to commit a "crime" that the person would have otherwise been unlikely or unwilling to commit.''Sloane'' (1990) 49 A Crim R 270. See also agent prov ...

''. From the 1990s onwards his film commissions became more frequent, including designs for

Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...

Cruella de Vil Cruella de Vil is a fictional character in British author Dodie Smith's 1956 novel ''The Hundred and One Dalmatians''. A pampered and glamorous London heiress and fashion designer, she appears in Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Productions' Lis ...

in ''

101 Dalmatians 101 Dalmatians may refer to: * ''The Hundred and One Dalmatians'', a 1956 novel written by Dodie Smith * 101 Dalmatians (franchise), a Disney film franchise based on the novel ** ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'', a 1961 animated film based on the ...

'', the '' Spice World'' film, ''

Jurassic Park ''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 whe ...

'', ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel '' The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series ...

'', and the hats for Lady Penelope (

Sophia Myles Sophia Jane Myles (; born 18 March 1980) is an English actress. She is best known in film for portraying Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in ''Thunderbirds'' (2004), Isolde in '' Tristan & Isolde'' (2006), Darcy in '' Transformers: Age of Extinctio ...

) and

Parker Parker may refer to: Persons * Parker (given name) * Parker (surname) Places Place names in the United States *Parker, Arizona *Parker, Colorado *Parker, Florida *Parker, Idaho *Parker, Kansas *Parker, Missouri *Parker, North Carolina *Parker, Pe ...

in '' Thunderbirds''. He created the hats for leading ladies such as

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received n ...

in '' Elizabeth: The Golden Age'',

Keira Knightley Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...

in ''

Atonement Atonement (also atoning, to atone) is the concept of a person taking action to correct previous wrongdoing on their part, either through direct action to undo the consequences of that act, equivalent action to do good for others, or some other ...

'',

Dita Von Teese Heather Renée Sweet (born September 28, 1972), known professionally as Dita Von Teese, is an American vedette, burlesque dancer, model, and businesswoman. She is credited with re-popularizing burlesque performance, earning the moniker "Quee ...

in ''

The Death of Salvador Dali ''The Death of Salvador Dalí'' is a 2005 American fantasy short film written and directed by Delaney Bishop. The plot concerns Salvador Dalí consulting Sigmund Freud on how to depict madness in his artwork. Cast * Dita Von Teese as Gala Dalí ...

'', and

Audrey Tautou Audrey Justine Tautou (; born 9 August 1976) is a French actress. She made her acting debut at the age of 18 on television and her feature film debut in ''Venus Beauty Institute'' (1999), for which she received critical acclaim and won the Césa ...

in ''

Coco avant Chanel ''Coco Before Chanel'' (french: Coco avant Chanel) is a 2009 biographical drama film directed and co-written by Anne Fontaine. The film stars Audrey Tautou and details the early life of French fashion designer Coco Chanel. The film premiered in P ...

''. Tautou reportedly commented during her fitting that Jones's hats made her feel like

Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( , ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with popularizing a sporty, c ...

, the character she was playing.

Promotions

Jones' first commercial commission was for Liquifruita cough mixture in 1982, followed by the Brazilian Fruit Board in 1983. In 1985, his hats were commissioned for use in campaigns for Batiste and Schwarzkopf hair products, and Jones has since then provided hats for many leading brands in the beauty industry, such as

Revlon Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it still remains. Revlon was founded by brot ...

Boots, Garnier (for Ambre Solaire sun lotion), Yardley of London,

Lancôme Lancôme () is a French luxury perfumes and cosmetics house that distributes products internationally. Lancôme is part of the L'Oréal Luxury Products division, which is its parent company and offers luxury skin care, fragrances, and makeu ...

MAC Cosmetics MAC Cosmetics, stylized as M·A·C, is a Canadian cosmetics manufacturer founded in Toronto, Canada in 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo. The company is headquartered in New York City after becoming a subsidiary of Estée Lauder Companies i ...

, and the 2004

L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, s ...

campaign featuring Beyoncé. His work also features in perfume advertisements such as those for Nina Ricci's ''L'Air Du Temps'' and Parfums Christian Dior. Jones hats have been used to promote food and soft drinks, including Chiquita, Twix, St Ivel,

Quaker Oats The Quaker Oats Company, known as Quaker, is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by PepsiCo since 2001. History Precursor miller companies In the 1850s, Ferdinand Schumacher and Robert Stuart founded oat mills. S ...

, Ryvita, Golden Wonder, Walker's Sensations,

Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

, and Robinson's orange squash.

Alcoholic beverages An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...

have also been advertised using his hats, beginning with Tennents lager in 1987 and including

Tia Maria Tia Maria is a dark coffee liqueur made originally in Jamaica using Jamaican coffee beans, but now made in Italy. The main ingredients are coffee beans, Jamaican rum, vanilla, and sugar, blended to an alcoholic content of 20%. History The hi ...

, Cinzano,

Perrier Perrier ( , also , ) is a French brand of natural bottled mineral water obtained at its source in Vergèze, located in the Gard ''département''. Perrier is known for its carbonation and its distinctive green bottle. Perrier was part of the ...

, Boddingtons, and Martini & Rossi. A number of car companies, such as

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and then ...

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles ...

Nissan Motors , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...

, and

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...

have used his hats in their ad campaigns, as have the

Esso Esso () is a trade name, trading name for ExxonMobil. Originally, the name was primarily used by its predecessor Exxon, Standard Oil of New Jersey after the breakup of the original Standard Oil company in 1911. The company adopted the name "Ess ...

fuel company and the

Pirelli Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is a multinational tyre manufacturer based in Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Milan Stock Exchange since 1922, is the 6th-largest tyre manufacturer and is focused on the consumer production of tyres ...

tires company. Jones has also provided hats for use in

financial sector Financial services are the economic services provided by the finance industry, which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money, including credit unions, banks, credit-card companies, insurance companies, accountancy companies ...

promotional material, including MasterCard,

Barclays Barclays () is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services. Barclays traces ...

, and

Legal & General Legal & General Group plc, commonly known as Legal & General, is a British multinational financial services and asset management company headquartered in London, England. Its products and services include investment management, lifetime mortg ...

; and for miscellaneous other companies including

Cellnet O₂ UK (legally incorporated as Telefonica UK Limited, stylized as O₂) is a British telecommunications services provider, headquartered in Slough, England. It operates under the O2 brand. It is owned by Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 joint vent ...

, National Panasonic, and

Ariston Ariston (from el, ) may refer to: People Ancient Greece * Ariston of Sparta (6th century BC), Eurypontid King of Sparta * Ariston of Athens (died circa 424 BC), father of Plato * Ariston of Byzantium (), tyrant of the city of Byzantium * Aristo ...

''Hats: An Anthology''

The 2009 exhibition, ''Hats: An Anthology'', held at the V&A from 24 February 2009, was inspired by

Cecil Beaton Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Academy Awards, Oscar–winning stage design, stage and costume de ...

's landmark exhibition, ''Fashion: An Anthology'', held at the V&A in 1971. 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. 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 The Fashion Museum (known before 2007 as the Museum of Costume) is housed in the Assembly Rooms in Bath, Somerset, England. The collection was started by Doris Langley Moore, who gave her collection of costumes to the city of Bath in 1963. The ...

and the Hollywood archives of Warner Bros. 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. The work of up-and-coming milliners such as Noel Stewart and Nasir Mazhar was featured alongside hats by

Philip Treacy Philip Anthony Treacy (born 26 May 1967) is an Irish haute couture milliner, or hat designer, who has been mostly based in London for his career, and who was described by '' Vogue'' magazine as "perhaps the greatest living milliner". In 2000 ...

, Mitza Bricard for Dior, Claude Saint-Cyr for

Norman Hartnell Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell, KCVO (12 June 1901 – 8 June 1979) was a leading British fashion designer, best known for his work for the ladies of the royal family. Hartnell gained the Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth in 1940, and ...

and Vladzio d'Attainville for

Cristóbal Balenciaga Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre (; 21 January 1895 – 23 March 1972) was a Spanish fashion designer, and the founder of the Balenciaga clothing brand. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards and was referred to as "the mast ...

. The exhibition also included hats worn by famous hat-wearers such as Gloria Guinness, Isabella Blow, Anna Piaggi, and

Gertrude Shilling David Shilling (born 27 June 1949) is an English milliner and fashion designer. He designs hats and clothing displayed on Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot, and has been called "The Hatman” and "the Mad Hatter.” Childhood David Shilling was ...

, as well as the hats of celebrities including

, Madonna, and Boy George. Film millinery was also featured, such as Beaton's own designs for the stage and screen versions of ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flowe ...

'' and hats worn by

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...

and

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

. The exhibition launched during

London Fashion Week London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London twice a year, in February and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fashion wee ...

with a lavish party attended by famous clients and admirers of Jones, including Piaggi, Daphne Guinness, Peter Blake,

Erin O'Connor Erin O'Connor, MBE (born 9 February 1978) is a British fashion model. Early life O'Connor was born and brought up in Brownhills, West Midlands, where she attended Brownhills Community School. She was brought up Catholic and her father is fr ...

and Daisy Lowe. 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.Johansson, Lottie
"A world of hats at the cup"
for ''

The National (Abu Dhabi) ''The National'' is a private English-language daily newspaper published in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The newspaper is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and member of the ...

'', 25 March 2009. Accessed 2 April 2009 The ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'' gave the exhibition four stars out of five. In the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...

'', the exhibition and book were described as a celebration and a delight. 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 Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 18 ...

, until Spring 2012. For this exhibition, work by New York-based milliners such as

Rod Keenan Rod Keenan (born July 3, 1968, in Great Bend, Kansas) is an American milliner and is the creator of a handcrafted men's headwear collection that is marketed under his label ''Rod Keenan New York''. Early years and education Keenan grew up in ...

Jennifer Ouellette Jennifer Ouellette (born May 17, 1964) is a science writer based in Los Angeles, California. Life and career Ouellette is the former director of the Science & Entertainment Exchange, an initiative of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) des ...

, and

Eugenia Kim Eugenia Kim is a New York City-based accessories designer best known for her line of hats. Background Kim grew up in Pennsylvania and was the first child of parents who immigrated to the United States from Korea. She did well in science and ma ...

, was incorporated into the show.

External links

*
Me and Mr Jones – Stephen Jones Interview – Fascineshion

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Stephen English fashion designers People from the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Milliners People educated at Liverpool College 1957 births Living people Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art Officers of the Order of the British Empire Squatters