Preparing for Stephen Jones’ Hats in the Royal Pavilion
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The Royal Pavilion is getting ready for the installation of over 160 hats designed by milliner Stephen Jones. The installation is the culmination of weeks of work behind the scenes to figure out how each individual hat will be mounted and displayed across the diverse rooms of the Royal Pavilion.
©Zenzie Tinker Conservation
We’ve been working with mount maker Panotechnia Ltd and textile conservator Zenzie Tinker and her team to ensure each hat is shown safely and at its absolute best.
For Zenzie Tinker, ‘it’s been a really wonderful contrast to the 17th and 18th century tapestries and wall coverings we are currently conserving, and all the costume we regularly work on.’
©Zenzie Tinker Conservation
Mounts vary from polystyrene heads covered with wadding and jersey, to carefully crafted metal alice bands, to steel frames secured in a hat with nylon wire. Each hat then has its own stalk, shaped to hold the hat at the correct angle specified by Stephen Jones.
Watch out for more behind the scenes images and videos in the coming week!
Jody East, Creative Programme Curator