Last week, we explored the principle of self-similar scaling in art and fashion, though we left accessories out of the discussion. Milliner Stephen Jones, however, offers us the perfect opportunity to revisit this concept with a piece from his recently unveiled A/W 25 collection.
Entitled "SENSEational" the collection looks at the sensory connections between hats and the body. This thematic interplay is evident in striking contrasts such as a mohawk-style headpiece adorned with sharp Perspex spikes that seem almost dangerous, juxtaposed to an entirely edible, tempered chocolate top hat crafted by Paris-based pastry chef Jana Lai. The latter took inspiration from "Stephen Jones, Chapeaux d'Artiste," an exhibition at the Palais Galliera. Sound also finds its place in the collection, represented by a gold headphone tiara with feather insulation, besides, since the olfactory experience is gaining momentum through multisensory exhibitions, scent is explored through hats infused with fragrances like Wonderwood by Comme des Garçons or Tweed by Lenthéric.
Among the most architectural designs of the collection there is a hat structured with floating concentric mirror panels reminiscent of planetary rings in a gradually decreasing triangular configuration. Encircling the head and partially veiling the face, the piece invites comparisons with buildings such as Yanlord Central Lake by HWCD & TIANHUA, in Taicang, China, designed to resemble ripples in water and forming a spiral form, as well as to architecture-inspired spiral hats. It also echoes the geometric, avant-garde attire of the Queen of Mars in Yakov Protazanov's 1924 sci-fi film Aelita. Yet, its true inspiration lies elsewhere, Stephen Jones conceived indeed the design as an homage to the late Italian fashion writer Anna Piaggi.
Named "Positive Vibes," this cocktail hat references Piaggi's own musings that she wore hats to keep her thoughts from escaping (an idea that intriguingly contrasts with Italian actress Valentina Cortese's reason for wearing scarves, which she saw as both a tribute to the farming couple who raised her and a way to shield herself from intrusive thoughts…). Here, self-similarity transcends pure mathematics or architecture, taking on a conceptual, almost philosophical dimension, an elegant fusion of form, function, and meaning.
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