Heads you win
Milliner to the
michael kors factory stars Philip Treacy has boldly declared that the fascinator, the wedding and racegoers' favourite accessory, is now over. The hatmaking maestro said: "The fascinator is dead and I'm delighted. The word 'fascinator' sounds like a dodgy sex toy and what's so fascinating about a fascinator?"
Treacy has created hats for some of the world's biggest celebs such as Lady Gaga and Kate Middleton. Yet he believes fascinators have become so massproduced and cheap that they no longer bear any relation to millinery, and that the traditional hat is set to make a comeback.
The milliner went on: "Mass production means that they became so cheap to produce that now they are no more than headbands with a feather stuck on with a glue gun. We're seeing a return to proper hats."
So what exactly is a fascinator? One definition goes: "In the modern usage, it refers
michael kors store locator to a woman's alternative to a hat for formal attire; it is usually a large hair decoration on a band or clip with elaborate trimmings and decoration like a formal hat and it can incorporate a base to make it a miniature hat."
A recent fan of the fascinator was Oscar winner Kate Winslet (37), who wore a gold fascinator with a red dress at the Longines Hong Kong International Races in December.
So which fascinators have stood out over the years? Sarah Jessica Parker (48) certainly got the trend up and going when she wore a blooming lime green fascinator complete with butterflies, feathers and shrublike plumes to the premiere of the first Sex and the City movie in London.
One of the most memorable fascinators was worn by Princess Beatrice (24) to Kate and Wills' wedding. The bow/pretzelshaped hat/fascinator was designed by Philip Treacy and got lots of feedback. It was
michael kors factory store eventually sold online to an anonymous bidder for in the region of 90,000, with the money raised being donated to Unicef UK and Children in Crisis.
Katy Perry (28) wore a record player fascinator to the MTV music awards. While Lady Gaga (27) recently stepped out in a bright turquoise and pink Roksanda Ilincic spring 2012 dress, which she coordinated with an eyepopping fuchsia Philip Treacy design on the top of her
michael kors outlet store head.
Kate Middleton (31) wore a more sedate, red fascinator during last year's tour of Canada. Simon Cowell's ex girlfriend and fortysomething Jackie St Clair certainly wowed in a purple floral fascinator at last year's Royal Ascot.
Burlesque pinup Dita Von Teese (40) wore a oneshouldered ruby red dress from her own collection, Dita Von Teese Muse, which she paired with a Philip Treacy fascinator/headpiece and Christian Louboutin heels for The Derby in Melbourne.
Cheryl Cole (29) wore the tiniest of black lace fascinators while she was a judge on X Factor. Paris Hilton (32) also chose a lace fascinator for a product launch.
Actress Helena Bonham Carter (46) showed her individual style when she wore a fuchsia pink fascinator to a Harry Potter premiere.
Judging by these photos, there's a good chance that we'll see a fair number of large feathers on hair bands at the races and weddings over the summer months.
