PR, event-organiser and artist, Piers Atkinson launched his first collection of luxury, handmade headpieces in 2008, the nine-piece collection contained elements of his roots; from fashion and theatre to sculpture and the wild, energetic excesses of the London club scene.
In 1999, Piers started with iconic fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. ‘She instantly cured my conservative approach to colour!’ says Piers, and his link between art and fashion was forged. Now Piers’ designs are exhibited in galleries and museums as works of art, most notably in the V&A’s ‘Hats: an Anthology by Stephen Jones’ and ShowStudio’s exhibition ‘The Café’.
Each piece is created by Atkinson and his team of craftspeople in his East London studio, using couture skills ranging from leatherwork, embroidery and traditional hat-blocking to gold leafing, prop-making and hand-beading. His collections are known for their wit, the unexpected materials and the drama. Piers frequently collaborates with runway designers, including Ashish, Zandra Rhodes, Charlotte Olympia and Bobby Abley, for their Fashion Week presentations.
Piers’ creations regularly appear in the pages of Vogue, Italian Vogue, Love, VCR Fashion Book, V Magazine, Tatler and the London broadsheets. His hats are available across the globe – from 10 Corso Como in Seoul to Fenwick’s in London, via Joyce in Hong Kong and Alan Journo’s famous store in Milan.
