WHEN PHILIP MET ISABELLA - Philip Treacy's Hats for Isabella Blow. Saturday, June 3, through Sunday, August 27, 2006

Friday, June 2, 6:00-8:00pm - ArtMembers' Opening Reception at Cranbrook Art Museum

Saturday, June 3, 4:00pm, Artist's Talk: Philip Treacy (deSalle Auditorium)

(In my not so humble opinion, I think this will be one of the most intriguing exhibitions at the museum all year.)

Cranbrook Art Museum presents an exhibition of 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.

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.'"

More about the exhibition:
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...

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...