As the year draws to a close, the Palais Galliera gives pride of place to accessories, presenting the hat collections of one of the world's leading milliners, active since the 1980s.

Stephen Jones is a true fashion icon. For over forty years, this British designer has been turning hats into art. An unassuming figure to the public at large, he has created this high-class object for the greatest fashion houses, from Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier to Thierry Mugler, Vivienne Westwood, Comme des Garçons and Louis Vuitton. And the list goes on. This is what the Palais Galliera in Paris is reminding us, presenting for the first time an exhibition entirely dedicated to an accessory for over four decades.

BETWEEN FASHION AND MUSIC

The exhibition retraces his creative process, from his sources of inspiration to the place of Paris in his work. Nearly 400 works are on display at the Paris institution, including over 170 hats, some 40 complete looks with garments and headgear, and all manner of archives (preparatory drawings, photographs, extracts from fashion shows, etc.).
The 67-year-old hatmaker grew up by the sea near Liverpool in north-west England. When he opened his first London boutique in 1980, this graduate of Saint Martin's School of Art wasted no time in launching two collections a year. Stephen Jones quickly made a name for himself in the music world, designing hats for Culture Club member Boy George, Spandau Ballet and Grace Jones.

ICONIC CREATIONS

It was with the "Model Millinery" collection, inspired by the allure of the Parisian woman, embodied by his first assistant Sibylle de Saint Phalle, Niki's niece, that he began his conquest of the City of Light in 1982. A veritable prelude to his future influences. She introduced him to Azzedine Alaïa, Jean Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler. Two years later, Stephen Jones became the first British milliner to work in the capital.
This famous line still offers "distorted peaked caps in bright 1980s colors, berets embroidered with 3D-printed top hat pins, and a sparkling Eiffel Tower tiara made from silk ribbon". The same goes for the "Miss Jones" and "Jones Boy" collections. As he points out on his website, they embody "the Parisienne of 2024, from velvet quilted caps to vinyl hats, for horse racing or fashion appointments, or glittering veils for dancing at Maxim's."

FROM LONDON TO PARIS

The exhibition at the Palais Galliera explores in depth his special bond with Paris, its culture and its couture. From the elegance of Paris to the avant-garde of London, Stephen Jones was soon involved in the legendary collections of the greatest fashion houses, making his mark on fashion history.
Some of his creations are now part of the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris, the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Kyoto Costume Institute. His collaborations with French labels, such as Christian Dior, for whom he has been designing hats for over twenty-five years, have never ceased to revolutionize his vision and creation.

" STEPHEN JONES, CHAPEAUX D'ARTISTE"
PALAIS GALLIERA, MUSÉE DE LA MODE DE PARIS
10, AVENUE PIERRE-IER-DE-SERBIE, PARIS 16E
UNTIL MARCH 16, 2025
PALAISGALLIERA.PARIS.FR