Prestigious department store Fenwick of Bond Street is celebrating its 125th year with a stunning display and auction of 13 unique hats, designed by some of the UK’s most exciting milliners. Fenwick have also chosen Brain Tumour Research as an exclusive charity partner for the event, with all proceeds from the auction helping to fund our vital research.

The exhibition is titled ‘Decades of Drama: By the Masters of Modern Millinery’ and will run for two weeks starting Thursday 19th May to June 2nd. Each hat will represent a different era in Fenwick’s impressive history. Some of the designers – Stephen Jones, Rachel Trevor Morgan, Vivien Sheriff and Philip Treacy – have already demonstrated their commitment to Brain Tumour Research, providing inspiration for our designer Wear A Hat Day brooches. 

Fenwick have partnered with online auction house, Paddle8, so that customers will be able to bid on each of these hats – whilst enjoying looking at the stunning exhibition or online at any time during the two-week period. Winning bids will receive their bespoke hat, a sketch from the milliner and an exclusive signed collector’s item hat box, illustrated by Clym Evernden. So place your bids and you could land yourself a fabulous hat and a unique piece of millinery history in the making!

Thursday 19th May is also a special Stella magazine discount shopping event at Fenwick and every purchase made on that day and for the following two weeks will include a discretionary £1 donation to Brain Tumour Research.

Even if you’re just passing by, you can still get involved! Check out special #hattastic window displays at Fenwick to play your part in funding sustainable, life-saving brain tumour research. Have your phone handy!

Philip Treacy OBE, a patron of Brain Tumour Research and a long-time supporter of the our annual Wear A Hat Day, designed the hat representing the present decade. Millinery genius, Stephen Jones OBE, has created a piece to reflect the 1940s. Both designers have previously created exclusive brooches to support Wear A Hat Day, as have fellow couture milliners featured in the exhibition, Rachel Trevor Morgan and Vivien Sheriff.

Philip Treacy said: “I am delighted to have created a bespoke piece for Fenwick and I wish them a happy 125th birthday. To know it will be auctioned to raise money for Brain Tumour Research is a wonderful bonus, as they are a charity close to my heart.”

The full list of milliners featured in the exhibition, and the decade inspiring them:

• 1891 – Rachel Trevor-Morgan
• 1900 – Borsalino
• 1910 – William Chambers
• 1920 – Noel Stewart
• 1930 – Vivien Sheriff
• 1940 – Stephen Jones
• 1950 – Jane Taylor
• 1960 – Rosie Olivia
• 1970 – Piers Atkinson
• 1980 – Harvy Santos
• 1990 – Celine Robert
• 2000 – Emma Yeo
• 2016 – Philip Treacy