UNITED KINGDOM: THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE HAT - COVERED ENTIRELY IN DIAMONDS AND VALUED AT £15M - HAS BEEN UNVEILED AT CHRISTIE'S IN LONDON

Record ID: 336535

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE HAT - COVERED ENTIRELY IN DIAMONDS AND VALUED AT £15M - HAS BEEN UNVEILED AT CHRISTIE'S IN LONDON
  • Date: 14th June 2004
  • Summary: (L!3) LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 14, 2004) (REUTERS) MLV: ACTRESS ALICIA WITT (FORMER STAR OF U.S. TV SHOW 'CYBILL') WALKS OUT FROM BEHIND A PAINTING MODELLING HAT, SHE IS PRECEEDED BY A WOMAN PLAYING THE FLUTE AND WOMAN THROWING PETTLES PHOTOGRAPHERS VARIOUS: OF WITT MODELLING HAT (3 SHOTS) SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOUIS MARIETTE, CELEBRITY COUTURE HAT DESIGNER (WHO
  • Embargoed: 29th June 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA1NH4XX9Z1C566P6EY6U1E56XO
  • Story Text: The world's most expensive hat - covered entirely in diamonds and valued at 1,5 million Pound Sterling - has been unveiled at Christie's in London.
    It was an unusual event at Christie's auctionhouse on Monday (June 14) - amidst a collection of old master paintings, the world's most expensive hat was unveiled in fairytale style.
    The 1,5 million pound sterling Chapeau d'Amour by couture hat designer Louis Mariette was modelled by American actress Alicia Witt ('Cybill', 'Vanilla Sky'). The London-based celebrity hat designer says he was inspired to create this dazzling headpiece by a vision of entwined ivy and bluebells from the forest of Cliveden House during springtime: "Like many things in life every designer needs a piece de resistance, and I remember a couple of years back I was with some mysterious lover, walking in the forest of Cliveden and some bluebell fields and it was a wonderful moment and I wanted to capture the spirit and I 'll always remember that day obviously because of my little companion as well but it was very special and of course I wanted to recreate that moment and capture it on the design that I'd done and voila I'd created it yes."
    Mariette created a gem-encrusted, platinum Chapeau d'Amour in weeks of meticulous manual work. He had every trimming and fabric sourced from far-flung destinations around the globe. Using a base of rare woven platinum fabric, specially commissioned and made in Tokyo, Mariette hand-burnt roses over many hours and then hand stitched them onto the fabric - a lot of work indeed: "Oh God absolutely yes, this is weeks and weeks of work. Each rose in the fabric, there's a flame, a burning flame that goes with it , what I'd do I get a pen heated up and I'm intricately burning the pattern off for hours and hours and I'm embroidering the actual platinum fabric but then not only that, the actual flowers continue up into the Lady Amethyst feathers which I inherited and the piece is created but absolutely a lot of time went into it."
    The hat is set for more displays at the Melbourne Cup horse race, Monaco, Tokyo and New York -- but so far it is not for sale: "Many people keep saying when are you going to sell it, and I've had a few bidders but it's my little baby and it's so difficult to part with something like that but if it is parted it would have to go to a good home, someone who appreciates the love and passion that went into it."
    And how does it fell to wear the world's most expensive hat? "Like a princess", says Watts.
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