As the light fades, an ethereal figure floats out onto the runway. Through the haze of camera flashes and these ttlingdin of a crowd, a moment of impact; the alchemy of craftsmanship, atmosphere, and storytelling collide at Paris’ Couture Fashion Week.
by Elly Azizian of Fashion Strokes
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.
by Elly Azizian of Fashion Strokes
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”.
by Elly Azizian of Fashion Strokes
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.”
by Elly Azizian of Fashion Strokes
And rebel he has. Philip Treacy’s hats have run the spectrum from punk macabre to sophisticated sleek, never pinned down to one theme, a malleable expression in perfect conference with the cultural moment he captures. A legend of the fashion and millinery world, his hats have garnished some of the most impactful imagery of our time, fulfilling Treacy’s mission of “hats that make the heart beat faster”
by Elly Azizian of Fashion Strokes
Illustration by Elly Azizian
Words by Elly Azizian
Edited by GLITCH Magazine