Cranbrook Art Museum - Exhibitions - When Philip Met Isabella


WHEN PHILIP MET ISABELLA Philip Treacy’s Hats for Isabella Blow Saturday, June 3, through Sunday, August 27, 2006 Cranbrook Art Museum will present an exhibition of the extraordinary hats that the Irish designer Philip Treacy made for his friend and muse, Isabella Blow. The exhibition, When Philip Met Isabella -- Philip Treacy's Hats for Isabella Blow, draws on work from the private collections of both Treacy and Blow, and opens on June 3, 2006. Since their first meeting on a fashion shoot in 1989 when Treacy was a student at the Royal College of Art, Blow has been his staunchest supporter and a constant source of inspiration. After leaving the RCA, he lived and worked from the basement of her London house for three years. Many of his most surreal and sculptural hats have been made for her. “Issy never says: ‘You’ve gone too far,’” says Treacy. “She always says: ‘You haven’t gone far enough.’” The presentation of When Philip Met Isabella at Cranbrook Art Museum is generously sponsored by Julia Reyes Taubman.
SELECTED INSTALLATION IMAGES (Note: Credit information on each image. Click to view larger.)

SELECTED EXHIBITION IMAGES (Note: Credit information on each image. Click to view larger.)

PRESS RELEASE >>
For Immediate Release Felicia E. Molnar, 248-645-3329 February 11, 2006 Cranbrook Art Museum presents WHEN PHILIP MET ISABELLA Philip Treacy’s Hats for Isabella Blow Saturday, June 3, through Sunday, August 27, 2006 Bloomfield Hills, MI – Cranbrook Art Museum will present an exhibition of the extraordinary hats that the Irish designer Philip Treacy made for his friend and muse, Isabella Blow. The exhibition, When Philip Met Isabella -- Philip Treacy's Hats for Isabella Blow, draws on work from the private collections of both Treacy and Blow, and opens on June 3, 2006. Since their first meeting on a fashion shoot in 1989 when Treacy was a student at the Royal College of Art, Blow has been his staunchest supporter and a constant source of inspiration. After leaving the RCA, he lived and worked from the basement of her London house for three years. Many of his most surreal and sculptural hats have been made for her. “Issy never says: ‘You’ve gone too far,’” says Treacy. “She always says: ‘You haven’t gone far enough.’” When Philip Met Isabella will explore their collaboration through thirty of the hats he has made for her. Exhibits will include the Ship, an astonishingly realistic replica of an 18th century French ship with full rigging made from miniature buttons, and the rose pink damask Pope modelled on the papal hat. Also featured will be the Castle inspired by Blow’s ancestral home at Doddington, Cheshire and Ludwig of Bavaria’s magnificent palace. Gilbert and George is a fantastical concoction of pink and green lacquered ostrich feathers. Horns is a black satin replica of the horns of Blow’s flock of ancient Soays sheep. The show will include photographs by Steven Meisel, David LaChapelle, Juergen Teller and Mario Testino of Isabella Blow wearing Treacy’s hats. Born in County Galway, Ireland, Philip Treacy studied fashion design in Dublin before winning a place at the Royal College of Art. As well as founding his own successful hat business, he has made haute couture hats for such fashion houses as Chanel, Valentino, Gianni Versace and Alexander McQueen. Isabella Blow is one of the world’s most influential creative directors who has worked for magazines including American Vogue, Visionaire, The Face and Vogue Italia. She played an important part in nurturing the careers of many designers, including Alexander McQueen, as well as Philip Treacy. Photo featured at the top: Philip Treacy. Portrait. © Kevin Davies The Exhibition When Philip Met Isabella -- Philip Treacy's Hats for Isabella Blow was organized by the Design Museum, London, and curated by Donna Loveday. The Exhibition Tour has been organized by the Design Museum, London. The presentation of the exhibition at Cranbrook Art Museum is generously sponsored by Julia Reyes Taubman.
PRESS COVERAGE >>
Over the top - Treacy and Blow make the old hat into high art by Glen Mannisto 7/12/2006 Metro Times In the breathless world of high fashion, the hat resides between provocative ornament and pure sculptural form. But this all changed the day that Isabella Blow, queen bee of British fashion, friend of Warhol and Basquiat, scion of scrofulous British nobility, met Philip Treacy, audacious novice milliner out of London's Royal College of Art. He pulled his green felt hat out of its box... In case you are in the skies this month..please check out the July issue of NWA World Traveler Magazine... Cranbrook Art Museum's exhibition When Philip Met Isabella is a TOP PICK! Master hatter's work featured at Cranbrook Designer Philip Treacy presents 30 pieces of his collection inspired by fashionista Isabella Blow. Kara G. Morrison The Detroit News It's the busiest time of year for Philip Treacy, the Irish designer known as the master of modern hat-making. Still, he took a short break from adorning the world's Royal Ascot attendees to be at the U.S. debut of his traveling art exhibit. When Philip Met Isabella: Philip Treacy's Hats for Isabella Blow, drew crowds in three countries before opening this weekend at the Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills... Amazing hats make a grand statement: Cranbrook show definitely different. June 2, 2006 BY KERI GUTEN COHEN Detroit Free Press Their love of hats brought them together. He is the artist; she is his muse. Together they've rocked the fashion and design world... Hats fantastical Exhibit of designer Philip Treacy's hats makes U.S. debut BY NICOLE STAFFORD Observer & Eccentric Newspapers Hats keep our heads warm in the winter, protect the eyes from the sun in the summer and, now and then, frame a pretty face. But the hats on display at Cranbrook Art Museum push the boundaries of haute couture into the realm of high art and design...
FURTHER RESEARCH >>
Milliner's muse (abc.net.au) Eccentric British style icon Isabella Blow has helped make Irish milliner Philip Treacy a household name by stepping out in his outrageous hats for more than a decade... Who's who (vogue.co.uk) A self-confessed eccentric and champion of many of this generation's fashion stars, the career path of Isabella Blow is a true inspiration; from a little girl trying on her mother's hats, she has grown to be one of the industry's most respected stylists... Blow by Blow (observer.guardian.co.uk) Isabella Blow, style queen and promotor of fledgling designers including Alexander McQueen, has been a walking billboard for years. Now she's getting her own exhibition at the Design Museum. Tamsin Blanchard takes her hat off to a true English eccentric... When Philip Met Isabella (BBC Radio 4 - Audio Presentation) The Design Museum is presenting an exhibition of the hats that Philip Treacy has made for his friend and muse Isabella Blow. They talk about their extraordinary relationship and of course hats...
CREDITS >>
The Exhibition When Philip Met Isabella -- Philip Treacy's Hats for Isabella Blow was organized by the Design Museum, London, and curated by Donna Loveday. The Exhibition Tour has been organized by the Design Museum, London. The presentation of When Philip Met Isabella at Cranbrook Art Museum is generously sponsored by Julia Reyes Taubman. Cranbrook Art Museum's 2005-2006 Exhibition Season, including When Philip Met Isabella, is generously sponsored by LaSalle Bank. When Philip Met Isabella also is presented at Cranbrook with the support of the 2005-2006 Museum Committee of Cranbrook Art Museum including Adele Acheson, Maggie Allesee, John Berry, Jonathan Boos, Deborah Bragman, Maxine Frankel, Ralph Graham, Stanley Grandon, John Henke, Jonathan Holtzman, Diane Kirkpatrick, David Klein, Til Klem, Wendy MacGaw, Diane VanderBeke Mager, James Nichols, Michael Poris, Ruth Rattner, Cathy Rosenthal, Jane Schulak, Gilbert Silverman, Ronald Swanson, and Gary Wasserman. Cranbrook Art Museum also is supported by the contributors to the Annual Fund of both Cranbrook Academy of Art and Cranbrook Art Museum, the fund-raising activites of ArtMembers@Cranbrook, including both Fanfare and Serious Moonlight, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. Cranbrook Art Museum is a non-profit contemporary art museum, and an integral part of Cranbrook Academy of Art, a community of artists-in-residence and graduate-level students of art, design and architecture. Cranbrook Academy of Art and Cranbrook Art Museum are a part of Cranbrook Educational Community, which also includes Cranbrook’s Institute of Science, Schools and other affiliated cultural and educational programs. Cranbrook Art Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums. For information call toll free 1-877-GO-CRANBrook (1-877-462-7262). To become a member of ArtMembers@Cranbrook call 248-645-3032. Museum Hours Wednesday through Sunday, 11am – 5pm Fourth Fridays, 11am – 9pm Closed Mondays and Tuesdays and the following holidays during the exhibition: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Day, New Year’s Eve and Day Cranbrook Art Museum Members: Free! Adults: $6 Full-Time Students with ID and Teens 13 and over: $4 Senior Citizens (65+): $4 Children 12 and under: Free! No credit cards accepted Personal checks welcomed U.S. currency only For more information, please call 1.877.GO.CRANBrook. (1.877.462.7262)