London's most iconic statues got a stylish new look for the London 2012 Festival bedecked in statement-making caps and chapeaus commissioned by the British Fashion Council, Grazia Magazine and the Mayor of London.
According to WWD, the sartorial art event—dubbed "Hatwalk"—kicked off Monday in Trafalgar Square where both the bronze likeness of King George IV as well as the horse he's mounted on were sporting shiny new gold crowns finished with glinting pearls.
Meanwhile, a statue of Admiral Nelson was outfitted with a pointy cap bearing a Union Jack with the Olympic torch attached to the tip.
With such a rich heritage of hat-wearing royals, it's hardly surprising that London would decide to highlight works from its most famous milliners, including Phillip Treacy, Stephen Jones, Pip Hackett and Charlie Le Mindu, all of whom contributed top-notch toppers to the event.
Jones—who co-curated the project in addition to creating King George IV's outrageous gold crown—told WWD that each piece had to undergo a smattering of tests to make sure all would withstand the drizzly London weather.
"They were put in a wind tunnel and tested to see if they were fireproof, in case they were struck by lightening," Jones explained.
