London’s Hatwalk

London’s most iconic statues including Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square have been given a makeover as part of the Hatwalk, a cultural tour and celebration of British millinery talent curated by Stephen Jones and Philip Treacy.

Commissioned by the Mayor of London, in partnership with BT, Grazia magazine, the British Fashion Council and the London 2012 Festival, Trafalgar Square’s most famous resident, Admiral Lord Nelson, has been given a new hat for the first time in 200 years designed by Lock & Co, the oldest hatters in London.

Nelson is one of twenty well-known statues from William Shakespeare to Winston Churchill, currently wearing bespoke headwear that celebrates British millinery talent. Philip Treacy, best known for his catwalk collaborations with Alexander McQueen has crowned the British General Sir Henry Havelock with a headpiece inspired by the juxtaposition between old and new. Whilst across the square, Stephen Jones, famous for collaborating with international fashion houses including Versace and Jean Paul Gaultier has restyled King George IV with a golden-domed design inspired by the luxurious Brighton Pavilion.

Other designers involved in Hatwalk include Ian Bennett, who has transformed the Duke of Wellington standing outside the Bank of England with a sculptural creation complete with trademark feathers, and John Boyd is responsible for fashioning a new headpiece for Franklin D. Roosevelt on Bond Street.

Throughout the Games the public will be able to see the complete collection of all the hats – life-sized copies of the headwear on the statues at BT London Live until August 12 in London’s Hyde Park.

Images: Mayor of London