Cool Britannia

The Union Jack has been on the fashion scene since the 1960's when The Who's Pete Townsend wore a Union Jack jacket on stage.  In the 1970's Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren designed the Anarchy in the UK T-shirts and in 1990's it was worn again as a jacket designed by Alexander McQueen for David Bowie and as a corset dress by Geri Halliwell as Ginger Spice.

 

 Illustration by Lauren Bishop.

I am not British and you might well ask why I prefer another country's flag to adorn my fashion?  Well the Union Jack does make up part of my country's national flag so I don't see any problem.  Anyway, I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's all about fashion, n'est pas?

Alexander McQueen shirt.

Last year I fell in love with an editorial of Kate Moss in British Vogue that was shot by Mario Testino.  It featured clothing that was made from the Union Jack mixed with couture items.  Kate was of course at her delectable best.

Leather and horsehair had by Soren Bach worn with Union Jack cap. Dior Haute Couture embroidered tulle and lace dress.

Hand-embroidered Elie Saab couture gown worn with vintage Russell Sage Union Jack jacket.

It was these custom made pants by Katie Eary (worn with a Gaultier beaded top) that I really fell for.
I covet them!

Are we seeing an icon in the making?  How will other flags rate if other countries start to use their flag in fashion.

Alexander McQueen appears to be the British Fashion industry's biggest advocate of the Union Jack trend.

Even the first lady of France, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is not immune to the appeal of Britannia cool.

In the past year I have seen a trend for more and more use of the Union Jack within fashion and not just in clothing.

After designing a punk T-shirt with Malcolm Mclaren in the 1970's, Vivienne Westwood has used the Union Jack in her design for The Rug Company . 

It is making appearances in interior decoration too, from cushions to curtains.

James Merrill chaise.

This chaise has certainly been given up dash of flash with the use of the Union Jack.  However there is a point in which I do believe that designers have gone a little over the top.

 

Oh dear, how long do you think it would it be before you grew tired of this in your kitchen?

Even cars are being swathed in the most fashionable of flags.

Chanel, the first and last word in fashion created a limited edition quilted Union Jack handbag.  I'm not sure how successful it has been.  You either love it or loath it I guess.

Gucci has done the same, but to me it looks more like a cheap knock-off than a high-end handbag.

I am starting to think that when it comes to this trend that less is definitely more because the more I see of this trend, the more I think it needs to be kept to a minimum.  Do not go crazy and start attaching the Union Jack to everything in your wardrobe, or your home for that matter.  It is not the sort of trend that will take to being overdone if you ask me.

Fashion is fickle, oui?
Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.
I still think Kate looks hot in the Katie Eary Union Jack pants though.

 

I Heart A Philip Treacy Hat

When I lived in Sydney, not so long ago, one of my favourite things to do was to pop into the David Jones Jones millinery department and spend as much time as I had up my sleeve trying on all the hats.  This was especially helpful if I was having a bad day as I felt transported just being there.  My worries disappeared, my stress fell away, it was bliss.

Philip Treacy, the artist at work.

This was how I discovered the world's greatest milliner, Philip Treacy.  In my opinion, there is no finer milliner.  No one has his daring  and creative approach to design, he is fearless.

Linda Evangelista on the cover of Vogue Italia June 2008 wearing a hat designed by Philip Treacy.

Treacy's talent was evident from the very beginning.  Discovered by the late Isabella Blow in 1989, she knew he was going to change the face of millinery.  At the time Isabella was style editor for Tatler magazine and after meeting him she commissioned Philip to make her a hat for her wedding and as luck would have it (the luck of the Irish perhaps?) he was blessed with having a client that sought out the unusual and the unconventional.

 Isabella wearing her elaborate head-dress designed by Philip Treacy for her wedding to Detmar Blow.

After graduating from the Royal College of Art with first class honours, Philip moved into Isabella and Detmar Blow's basement where he set up his workshop.  Isabella the benefactor became the artist's muse and they talked of nothing but hats, hats, hats!

In 1991 Treacy was to meet chief designer at Chanel Karl Largerfeld and became their chief milliner for the next 10 years.  Not a bad job straight out of university.  He was just 23 years old.  Wow!

Treacy and models at a haute couture show.

The real change for him happened after his first catwalk show.  Supermodel's Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Yasmin Le Bon all agreed to model his hats, (an all black collection) and were paid not in money, but in hats.  The media went crazy when the girls did his show and this changed how hats were seen in fashion from then on.

 Isabella Blow wearing a Philip Treacy creation.

By 1999 Treacy was designing for Alexander McQueen for Givenchy in Paris while while still designing for Chanel.

Some of Treacy's designs for Alexander McQueen and Givenchy.

This led to the first ever Haute Couture show devoted purely to hats which was held in Paris by the chambar syndical de la haute couture and of course Treacy was invited to contribute.

Treacy has now taken his design esthetic into other mediums, designing accessories, glass wear and furniture.  Treacy was awarded an OBE by her majesty the Queen in 2007 in recognition of his services to the British Fashion industry.

"Glamour is a world-wide currency" - Philip Treacy

"I believe in beauty and elegance and communicating thoughts and dreams in a visual way. I started designing hats 15 years ago while I was a student at the Royal College of Art.  It was at a time when hats were perceived publicly as something worn by ladies of a certain age and something from a bygone era.  I thought this was totally ridiculous and simply believed "we all have a head, so everybody has the possibility to wear a hat." - Philip Treacy

A design sketch by Philip Treacy.

"I have had the greatest pleasure of having the opportunity to challenge people's perception of what a hat should look like in the 21st Century."
 

This butterfly hat is truly my favourite.  I imagine the wearer must feel like they are in a butterfly enclosure, it is pure whimsy, sigh.  If I was lucky enough to own this piece of millinery genius, I would have it on display in my home for all to see. 


This post is dedicated to my friend Trudi Francis.