Throughout history, hats have exuded class as the staple dress code for the English elite, indeed, there is nothing like a bonnet to inject a bit of glamour into an occasion. An event like London Hat Week, hosted by X Terrace fashion platform in the heart of London’s textile area in Bermondsey, serves up sophistication. The presence of one of the worlds’ most prestigious milliners, Philip Treacy OBE, whose clients include the Duchess of Cambridge to Madonna, adds even more exclusivity to the affair.
London Hat Week attracts designers from across the globe who have regular commissions for high society soirees, such as Royal Ascot and the Dubai World Cup. Over 220 hats formed a kaleidoscope of colour at the four-day event where the theme was ‘To the Future and Back.’ Entries ranged from futuristic spaceship-like designs to elegant hats evoking vintage glamour and old-world charm. Even the location was on theme as it was held at Black Swan Studios in the Southwark area close to the iconic London Bridge.

London Hat Week official exhibition series began in 1851. During the 1920s, the cloche hat was all the rage, in the 1930’s it was Art Deco hats, and wartime 1940s featured berets and Tam hats. Meanwhile, the 1950s heralded the revival of Edwardian Titanic hats inspired by My Fair Lady, and the 1960s saw the pillbox adopted by Jackie Kennedy. Many of these styles would have been made at Christy’s Hats of London in Bermondsey Street, where this show is staged. Once home to industrial shops and textile factories this area now buzzes with champagne bars. There are also designer shops, five-star restaurants and art galleries, including the White Cube and Textile Museum. All these amenities serve to entertain and inform the beau monde hat aficionado.

The exhibition was staged against a backdrop of medieval wharfs and Victorian mills, the postmodern White Cube art gallery and vibrant Fashion and Textile Museum. Towering above everything is the Shard, home to the five-star Shangri-La Hotel, with its sci-fi design that fits perfectly with the creativity on display. This hotel also hosted London Hat Week’s catwalk preview earlier this year. During breaks from viewing exhibits, milliners can discuss their favourite designs over afternoon tea at Aqua Shard. In the evenings show attendees can retreat to the 52nd floor of the Shard for cocktails at GONG – Europe’s highest hotel bar – or dine at the exclusive TiNG restaurant, perched among the clouds on level 35.
Hat connoisseurs and milliners from across the globe flock to fashionable London for this prestigious occasion every year. It is a must-attend gathering where top fashion and millinery haute couture mix with high society. The appearance of Philip Treacy made this event one of the most talked-about events in the fashion calendar. Hold on to your hats, next year’s London Hat Week looks set to be even bigger and better, and the Hat Circle is launching The Accessory Circle, to appear at London Accessory Week in 2021.