Antwerp’s MoMu fashion museum opened its doors on Tuesday evening for the latest exhibition for Fall Winter 2010-11, in a retrospective of the 30 year career of British hat designer Stephen Jones. Having collaborated with the world’s most distinguished fashion designers, Stephen’s hats have become synonymous with a quirky and glamorous aesthetic – the finishing artistic touch to many fabulous and memorable outfits.

Collectors’ Geert Bruloot and Eddy Michiels of Coccodrillo boutique in Antwerp have offered their extensive personal hat collection to the exhibition, alongside pieces directly from the archives of Azzedine Alaïa, Jean Paul Gaultier, Comme des Garçons, Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano. Not only offering their hats, Geert himself has co-curated the exhibition with the MoMu’s Kaat Debo, engineering a four part journey through Stephen’s fantastical realms – beginning with “Adventure”, “Science”, “Rococo” and finishing with “Glamour”.

The exhibition’s layout is anything but spare – a surprise considering the focus is a rather petite object designed to perch atop the human head. Instead the space is filled with giant white hat boxes emblazoned with Stephen’s logo, and each section is punctuated with a giant recreation of one of his designs. At the pinnacle room of the museum, a starry night sky is a sweeping curved backdrop to a tribute to Stephen’s long collaboration with Walter Van Beirendonck, with a group of nine mannequins displaying some of their most outrageous and futuristic creations.

Rounding out the hats themselves are many iconic photographs from the pages of international fashion titles – from Stephen’s hometown of London to one of his most popular fashion markets of Tokyo, Japan. Upon entering the exhibition, visitors can view a video of Stephen’s earliest days in the business, dressing his ‘New Romantic’ friends like singer Boy George and model Sybille de St Phalle. Italian Vogue’s Anna Piaggi, another close friend, dedicated a collage to Stephen featuring images of her own extensive collection, shot inside her Milan apartment.

Complementary to the exhibition MoMu has published “Stephen Jones & The Accent of Fashion” as a hardcover book in conjunction with Lannoo publishers – a 250-page tome with literary contributions by John Galliano, Suzy Menkes, and Anna Piaggi. For a sweet escape, Brugges’ based chocolatier Dominique Persoone has concocted an exclusive selection of four chocolates inspired by Stephen Jones’ millinery. Both the book and the boxed chocolates are available for sale in the MoMu.

From his punk beginnings in the clubland of 80s London to the forefront of Parisian couture, the exhibition is truly a triumphant celebration of Stephen’s larger-than-life persona, reflected in over 300 of his exquisitely delicate objets d’art.

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An excerpt from the foreword by John Galliano:

“Over the years, Stephen and I have created an astonishing range of hats and developed a creative shorthand, and friendship, that is built on trust and mutual admiration. The complement between fashion and accessory is seen time and time again in my collections on the runway. Hats are as important as a great shoe or bag, and for each collection the partnership between elements must be fresh, new and always relevant to the spirit I am creating. I don’t want any hat – I want the right hat. In fittings our creative conversation explores all the options until we select the winning style. Stephen never gives up. He knows how to create a Galliano hat or a Dior hat and make it the perfect hat – that is what is important and sets him apart.

A hat can be a veil or an alibi, a head turner or a friend. It can give clues, or, like this foreword, serve as the introduction to all the wonder that lies within. Enjoy!”

- John Galliano

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Above image: Photograph by Sølve Sundsbø.

Above: A fishbone fascinator by Stephen Jones from the ‘Adventure’ series.

Above: A beaded evening dress by Azzedine Alaïa with headscarf by Stephen Jones.

Above: A selection of hats in the “Glamour” series, by Stephen Jones”.