Philip Treacy’s hats are for conservative women.
So said the soft-spoken Irish Milliner. So said the hat architect who has placed lobster, shoes, orchid and swan's nest on the head of Isabella Blow, Ladygaga and the like. To Philip Treacy, Eccentricity is much more subtle. Women who wear his hat could be conservative outwardly, but inwardly they have their own sense of fantasy. Sounds like the fantasy of Juliet in Fellini’s “Juliet the Spirits”?
Drawn to the kaleidoscope of Juliet’s dreams, spirits, and memories, Philip Treacy understands the beauty of illusion, and empathizes in his design with the illusion because it's larger than life. The haberdasher does not consider himself as an artist, but someone who simply adds some spice to the dull of life.
The conservative women, with a heavier piece on their head, may keep their foot more grounded and their heart lighter.
Reference: Philip Treacy's interview
Federico Fellini's 1965 film: Juliet of the Spirits (Giulietta degli spiriti)
