In the fashion sphere, Sir Stephen Jones is a figure of singular brilliance. Emerging from the Blitz Kids scene of the late 1970s, the most recognized and respected milliner upon the globe has been creating unique headgear for the beautiful and the damned for some 40 years. His often-extravagant designs have adorned everyone from Grace Jones to Kate Moss and Lady Diana, and he has collaborated with practically every major designer of the modern era, such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, Raf Simons… the list goes on. Tellingly, Jones is also a regular staple at the genuinely iconic Dior, with whom he has indulged in a long-standing collaborative love affair. In fact, his amour for all things francais has been front-and-center of both his autumn/winter collection French Kiss and his recent spring/summer offering Bonne Vacances, which presents a captivating array of hats inspired by different regions of the country of love. It seems only fitting then to begin our discussion by asking when his enchantment with the spiritual home of the impossibly chic began? “I was always aware of a sort of French mystique that was exciting somehow,” he explains, over a strong coffee the morning after the British Fashion Awards. “When I was young, we would take our holidays in France, but even as a very little boy, France fascinated me – I remember we had these placemats at home that had watercolor scenes of Paris on them, and I would always be changing them around with my sisters at meals, so I could have my favorite one,” he says, recalling his childhood with distinctive bonhomie. “My imagination was full of men in striped t-shirts and women that looked like Brigitte Bardot,” he laughs. “Of course, much later when I was studying fashion in London at Central Saint Martins during the punk era, the library was full of copies of French Vogue from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, and those were just amazing – so evocative.”
It's clear that Jones has been steeped in the romanticism of France from a young age, so does his recent collection, Bonnes Vacances, stem as much from a nostalgic impulse to revisit his childhood as it does the cultural landscape it references. "There is always an element of culture when you're building a collection, and searching for something new, but taking something very personal from memory is so magical as well," he says, pausing reflectively when I ask him about the French holiday brochure retrieved from his youth that apparently inspired the collection. "In fact, nostalgia can be the starting place, but you build on that experience and take it somewhere new; it's about the now, about expanding the possibilities of what people can wear." Expanding codes of apparel has always been at the heart of Jones's often surreal, pop-couture aesthetic, and it's interesting to ask him on which side he falls when it comes to the classic discussion of favoring utilitarian form or unbridled fantasy in design. "There's always that thing between function and fantasy, but sometimes to provide fantasy is actually something's function," he says. "Hats are often about assumed identity and allowing the person to be who they want to be as opposed to who they are. On the other hand, sometimes it's about reflecting someone's unique personality. There are so many nuances between those two poles, and I love that diversity."
When you consider his illustrious history in the upper echelons of style, diversity is perhaps the key thread to Jones's long career – from designing hats for the likes of Lady Gaga to creating surreal interventions into public sculpture for the Beatles monument in Liverpool, he is always defining a somewhat frivolous cutting edge. I wonder if it is the unfettered, shape-shifting nature of his talent that keeps the legendary Dior knocking on his door? "When I'm at Dior, I don't take it lightly, and every day is like the first in some respects," he says of working with the epochal fashion House. "All the designers who have worked there have been able to channel the moment and preempt taste; preempt the market – giving people what they didn't know that they wanted," he explains, when asked why Dior has remained so successful since its inception. "All of the designers in its history have been extraordinary – John [Galliano] creating the ultimate fantasy, YSL incorporating rock'n'roll with the leather jacket, Raf [Simons] bringing his unique intellectuality..."
Jones's knowledge of fashion history is encyclopedic, and his creativity relentless. One can't help but wonder how his own creativity has evolved over time? "When you're younger, it's almost just a rush of creative hormones with sparks flying in every direction," he says, sagely. "It's a different sort of creativity when you are older, actually – in a way, it's more measured, but then sometimes it's a whim of the moment too, and you do something just because you want to do it. I think that's the great thing about millinery, actually, and certainly how I want to do it. Why would you want to limit yourself?" There have seemingly never been any limitations on the creative agenda for Jones.
In closing, I suggest that his designs focus more on elevating reality than reflecting it. "Oh, my God. Yes," he enthuses. "Appearance is so important! Sharing your appearance can be fun, and it can be the best tonic for you and the people around you. It's not only for yourself, because you can really improve people's mood with your appearance. You can make people happy," he laughs modestly. "And is there any greater thing that we can do than make people happy?"
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