13 posts tagged "Piers Atkinson"
Tip of the Hat
Thanks to European labels like Saint Laurent, Acne Studios, and Costume National, hats—mainly casual versions with wide brims—are a well-established Spring ’13 trend. But here in the USA, it’s National Hat Day. And while milliners across the pond (like Stephen Jones, Philip Treacy, Piers Atkinson, and Maison Michel) get lots of love from the fashion set, we’d like to use the holiday to tip our toppers to homegrown headgear talent. Take CFDA winner Eugenia Kim, for instance. Her sweet kitten-ear felt caps were a big hit this fall, and her bright feather-embellished fedoras can be worn with most anything. Satya Twena crafts everything from easy-to-wear fedoras to out-there studded fascinators, and Jason Wu included floppy feminine hats in his debut Miss Wu collection. On the more eccentric side, we have milliner Heather Huey, whose conceptual chapeaux (left)—which range from bejeweled bunny ears to sculpted, twisted takes on more traditional styles—have appeared in magazines such as Vogue, W, and Interview . Whether or not you deem yourself a “hat person,” National Hat Day is the perfect excuse to experiment with topping off your look. And, considering each of the designers above is based in New York, you won’t have to go too far to do so.
Get The Look: Effortlessly Editorial
As the assistant to the queen of over-the-top style, Anna Dello Russo, it comes as no surprise that Carlotta Oddi has a covetable look all her own. But while her boss has been known for sporting outrageous getups—the Alexander McQueen visor and Piers Atkinson cherry-on-top hat come to mind—Carlotta has a clean, classic aesthetic with an editorial edge. She was recently spotted in Paris, by Stockholm Streetstyle’s Daniel Troyse, wearing a Valentino coat and bag with Givenchy boots. Get her look with the essentials below.
From top left, below: Chloé coat, $2,705, available at www.farfetch.com; Karen Walker sunglasses, $250, available at www.lagarconne.com; Givenchy boots, $1,695, available at www.netaporter.com; Valentino bag, $1,895, available at www.forwardforward.com
Piers Atkinson Toasts Old Hollywood Glamour
Spring 2013 marks London-based milliner Piers Atkinson’s tenth season. His witty, often outrageous toppers have always emitted a certain vintage, big-screen glamour. (Can’t you just see Marilyn rocking a pair of the designer’s signature hyper-cherries?) So what better way to celebrate his brand’s fifth anniversary than with an old Hollywood-themed collection? Titled Director’s Cut, Atkinson’s Spring 2013 lineup pulls inspiration from films of the thirties, forties, and fifties as well as greats like Lana Turner, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, and Joan Crawford. “I think when you look at old films, all the girls are wearing hats and they all look a million dollars. It was an era when femininity was more demure,” says the milliner, who now sells his collection in the States at Opening Ceremony. Given the collection’s cinematic nature, it only makes sense that the designer would create a film to showcase his new looks. Directed by Morgan White and styled by Kim Howells, the black-and-white short, which debuts above on Style.com, features glitzy girls wearing Atkinson’s Spring chapeaux, like a swirling black feathered number cleverly named the Hitchcock and a black silk rose beret with a reflective laser-cut veil that bleaches out the face when exposed to a camera flash. Atkinson calls it the Incognita. Although the milliner tells us that the hat, intended to perplex paparazzi, was inspired by Lady Gaga, we think the starlets that influenced his Spring collection would have appreciated this veil of invisibility (as will his famous clientele, which includes a host of pop stars and British nobles). A mini bowler hat with a mustachioed veil also has a supporting role. After all, it wouldn’t be an Atkinson collection without a little cheeky whimsy.
A Minnie Moment
Last fall, it was Miss Piggy who had a serious moment on the fashion scene, thanks to her role in the Muppets film as a Paris Vogue editor and the resulting collaborations, editorials, and beauty deals). This season, however, there’s another lovable starlet who is set to stage a fashion week comeback: Minnie Mouse. British Vogue reports today that Minnie is getting a style upgrade, courtesy of designers including Richard Nicoll, Giles Deacon, Piers Atkinson, and Meadham Kirchhoff. As part of the Disney collaboration, the designers will be creating one-off garments (called the Minnie Mouse Must Haves), inspired by her signature bow and polka dots, during London fashion week. Afterwards, the items will be auctioned off on eBay to benefit the Fashion Arts Foundation. Whether we will also be seeing her cohorts, like Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Donald Duck, also hit the runway, remains uncertain for now.
The Only Way Is Ascot
No hat, no entrance. Such are the rules of the Royal Ascot, the U.K.’s most prestigious horse race, sartorially and otherwise, and the functional English equivalent of the Kentucky Derby. Founded in 1711 by Queen Anne, the meet, which runs from June 19-23, attracts everyone from Liz Hurley to the Royals for five days of celebration, steeds, and, of course, spectacular headgear. “I couldn’t have imagined it in my wildest dreams. It’s sort of like heaven!” says up-and-coming English milliner Noel Stewart, who, along with Piers Atkinson, Charlie Le Mindu, J. Smith Esquire, and William Chambers, will showcase his hats at the races in the Stephen Jones-curated Headonism exhibition, sponsored by the Royal Ascot and the British Fashion Council. “It’s the highlight of a milliner’s year and crucially important from a business standpoint. It’s Christmas and Thanksgiving and everything else all rolled into one!” adds Jones, who, in addition to crafting a slew of Ascot hats, is in the midst of creating headpieces for Raf Simons’ debut Dior Couture show.
However, due to a few subpar skin-baring ensembles from years past, Ascot has tightened up its 2012 dress code. Fascinators have been banned in the Royal Enclosure, the race’s most exclusive viewing section (according to Ascot, they’re a “convenient way out” and not in line with formal daywear), and ladies must wear headpieces no smaller than four inches in diameter, as well as day dresses of “modest length” whose straps are at least one inch wide. (The powers that be have suggested the look at left as an example of race-appropriate garb: dress by Nicholas Oakwell, shoes by Bally, and hat by Stephen Jones.) Gents are required to turn up in a top hat and tails. “The new rules are about being more ‘English summer party’ than ‘pop star fleshy,’ ” says Atkinson, who designed a special Racing Collection (below), each hat from which adheres to Ascot’s regulations. His strawberries-and-cream-inspired toppers will be on sale at his pop-up shop at London’s Saint Martins Lane Hotel, open from today until the end of June. Continue Reading “The Only Way Is Ascot” »