Philip Treacy

There are certain things I love about going to the Races: watching beautiful horses race, dressing up and of course the millinery. However there are many things I hate: people not understanding Racing etiquette or racing attire convention, the drunkedness and pushy crowds. One of my huge pet hates is that people don't seem to understand that the races isn't for dressing up in anything 'dressy' because you think 'evening' = formal. No! It's about dressing in race-appropriate daywear that is more formal, can still be fun, but doesn't include any of the following: maxi dresses, gowns, sequins, evening fabrics, anything overly short...my list could go on. And don't get me started about people who don't follow the rules of the particular race day (e.g. Black and White on Derby Day) or the appropriate season's millinery (felt for Winter, straw for Summer).

All that said, I have a huge weakness for millinery so in honour of today being Derby Day in Sydney (one of the biggest racing days of the Autumn Carnival), I thought I'd dedicate a post to my all time favourite milliner - the extraordinary Philip Treacy.

A favourite of the late Isabella Blow, Philip Treacy combines master technique and artful creativity in all his fabulous pieces. Half the pieces are structural impossibilities, yet look effortless while doing so. When I was in London, I was so upset I didn't make it to the actual store (though excitedly took photos of it when we drove past it), but I did make it to a department store and tried on this beauty (I think the hat needs to speak for itself, without my smile in the way!)

We unfortunately don't get a huge range in Sydney and even so, at upwards of $1k a pop I'm not in a position to buy any of the pieces I love but I was perusing his website recently and was gawking at these fabulous masterpieces for Winter racing (particularly monochromatic black and white for Derby Day!).

I especially love the embellished fedora in the centre

Being a girly girl, I love pillbox and fascinator styles more than Winter millinery, but these pieces are so beautiful that they really speak for themselves.

Looks like the one I tried on in London!

Images thanks to http://www.philiptreacy.co.uk/