Earlier this spring, reader Scarfie attended the exhibition, “Stephen Jones Hats at the Royal Pavilion”. The first part of her review of the exhibition, which we all enjoyed yesterday, concludes today. Welcome, Scarfie!  

Next up was the Banqueting Room Gallery which contained rather fewer hats spread out across the various pieces of furniture.  I absolutely LOVED the red top hat with fur tail which was in the “Murder by Millinery” section! There was also an interesting hat made of felt puzzle pieces.  Further along the room were some hats that looked liked diamante spiders webs – a very interesting way to make a hat giving such a light delicate effect.

After this room you pass into the most amazing room in the whole pavilion – The Saloon.  I was blown away by this room from its fantastic Axminster made Peacock carpet to the silk wall linings it truly was fabulous!  I don’t think there were any hats in this room as the room is too splendid in itself. Leaving the Saloon you arrive in the Music Room Gallery and here I saw a lovely black musical note fascinator, a jaunty hat was very taken with as it was so very delicate.

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The Music Room itself is a large grand room of red walls with gold pictures painted thereon.  This room showcased several Dior gowns topped off by Stephen’s creations – I understand that the dresses have been gifted to the Pavilion by Dior, if true that certainly is a lovely gift!

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Some of the busts were adorned with hat creations as well, although one is of Stephen Jones himself, I assume solely for the exhibition.  His hat is a gold dragon-esque design and then we have the King with a series of Chinese style hats in graduating sizes really quite novel to see.

In the Kings Apartments on the ground Floor there was a selection of “crowns” some being made from teddy bears and a rather spectacular silvery metal crown over the centre of the bed head (see this at 1:30 in the first video at the bottom). Following, was a series of hats that were made to look like dresses that I loved. These were so imaginative and pretty and like nothing I had ever seen before.  It truly is amazing what you can into a hat.

Upstairs, the Yellow Bow Rooms contained a massive gold hat suspended over one bed – the same one as on the floor beside Mr. Jones in the photo below. Unfortunately I was flagging somewhat by this time so did not pay too much attention to what the hat was made of!  Needless to say it was certainly impressive by virtue of its size. In another of the Yellow Bow Rooms, there was a large feather hat sitting on the bed and you can see Stephen wearing it in the second video below.

In the final area/room of the Pavilion, the South Galleries (landing area) had the most futuristic hats of all – like helmets but they reminded me of the Cadbury’s Smash aliens!

I’m afraid I was not overly keen on how the hats were displayed in some rooms, as the Pavilion itself is a very ornate and “busy” place so it was at times at bit hard to distinguish what was pavilion and what was exhibit!  This was particularly the case in the Banqueting Room.  However, after preparing this review of the exhibition, I wanted to go again to absorb more of it.  Over 150 hats is a lot to take in in one visit and I wish I had taken some notes.  It was very much worth the visit as the Pavilion is stunning and these hats just added to the amazing experience.  I was just a little sad that there were no postcards of the actual hats on show to buy, just some design drawings that were not actually Stephen Jones’ and some books.  It would have been good if the Pavilion had been able to produce some sort of small catalogue showing a photo and details of each hat and dress on display for say £5 as I am sure it would have been be a sell out!

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These videos give a very good overview of the exhibition. In the second video, Stephen Jones discusses the exhibition (he talks to his hats!) and adds interesting tidbits about his career.

Earlier this spring, reader Scarfie attended the exhibition, “Stephen Jones Hats at the Royal Pavilion”. I’m so pleased to welcome her to Royal Hats this week to generously share her thoughts on this momentous millinery event. 

In April, I visited Brighton Pavilion to see the hat exhibition by Stephen Jones.  I had never been to the Pavilion before so it was a very exciting prospect.

As you entered the pavilion via the Octagon Hall into the Entrance Hall, you were greeted by a table with a few hats displayed on it – hats inspired by this very building no less and quite a tease for the delights to come! 

After getting the tickets, you proceeded along the Long Gallery, a beautiful long corridor decorated in pink wallpaper, bamboo effect woodwork and chinoiserie which was lined with lots of millinery but I can‘t remember too many of the pieces as there was so much to take in.  There was one headpiece made with oversize paper clips and another of spanners(!) and at the end of the gallery the staircase has some mannequins on the stairs in lovely dresses with full head “hats” quite striking yet spooky at the same time! I think the effect was to be like you are at a party with everyone dressed up.

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After leaving the Long Gallery you entered the Banqueting Room.  Wow, what a fabulous room – the dining table was laid out as for a banquet and then each chair has been given a hat!  A lot of the hats displayed belong to celebrities and royalty.

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Of the Royal Family loans are the white beret worn by the Duchess of Sussex to last year’s Commonwealth Day service, the beautiful navy coolie hat worn by Lady Sarah Chatto to the Sussex’s wedding last year, and Princess Eugenie’s teal green beret percher worn to Royal Ascot in 2011. 

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Milliner Stephen Jones adjusting a cream felt beret he made for the Duchess of Sussex

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One of my favourites in this room was the lovely red feather creation made for Dame Joan Collins. What a fun, elegant hat  and I loved how the top feathers sort of exploded out of the top of it!

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The exhibition in many places was roped off so you can’t get that close to the hats but most of them you could get close enough to see some detail.  

After passing the first side of the Banqueting Rom, you entered the Great Kitchen filled with the most fantastical head pieces!  The kitchen was the perfect location for these hats as many featured food and creatures of both sea and air – fish and birds! There was a fun jam sandwich, an afternoon tea and then a huge red bird hat over the stove. Along the tops of the kitchen cupboards were more feathered creations in the shapes of birds.  The central display table showcased fishy hats and a “whale with a veil”.

Here you can see some of the fish head hats.

The Victoria Sandwich/afternoon Tea type hat was unusual to say the least as was the pleated jelly and jam sandwich, the crusts of which were leather!

After going around the kitchen, you were lead back to the other side of the Banqueting Room. I was a bit sad to read that the hat designed for Diana, Princess of Wales was not actually hers but a replica that was displayed.  Nonetheless, it was nice to see it. It is made of suede.

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The mustard yellow hat worn by Amal Clooney at the Sussex’s wedding last year was nice to see close up and I particularly noted the sequins sewn on the net veil.  Next to this was also an eye-catching (and odd!) crocodile head shaped hat! Kylie Minogue’s huge show girl type hat of gold leaves/feathers with red lilies heads was at one end of the table with Lady Gaga’s large pink feather creation at the other end.