Hats Off! The Royal Ascot Millinery Collective Crowned the Season at Claridge’s
Now in its 11th year, the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective takes a moment on the final full day of London Fashion Week to set the tone for the next season of occasionwear. With creative director Daniel Fletcher (someone who wears many hats himself) at the helm, the collective unites distinguished and emerging milliners to celebrate their craft with a collection of bespoke designs.
The Royal Ascot is a national institution with a storied legacy, taking place on the most celebrated racecourse in the world in summertime. The five-day horse racing event sees around 275,000 each year descend on Ascot, donning looks that adhere to a Royal Enclosure Dress Code—within those codes, creativity abounds. From the puffed and fluffed silhouettes and porter bonnets of the Victorian era to the more flamboyant Swinging Sixties, Royal Ascot fashion has and continues to evolve. (In recent years, sharp tailoring, top hats, and tails have become accepted for women.) Today, Royal Ascot remains a masterclass in elegant dressing, with sculptural hats and architectural headpieces. (It is also, uniquely, a patron of the British Fashion Council.)
Showcasing their work for the second year running at London’s Claridge’s, the designs were shown salon-style in a color-blocked tableau. For 2026, the designers drew inspiration from the theatrical storytelling of Cecil Beaton and the glamorous touchpoints of the ’20s and ’30s society set: a sweet and white bridal pillbox, a dark hand-feathered fascinator, a swoosh of silver straw and grey taffeta, a lavender floral creation. Stephen Jones OBE and Rachel Trevor-Morgan, whose work has featured on the heads of many a royal and celebrity, were joined by Carol Kennelly, Edwina Ibbotson, Emily Baxendale, Emily Hurst, Filipa Cardoso, Fiona Cooper of Millinery Laa-Laa, Hood London, Jenny Beattie, and Vivien Sheriff for the showcase. (Hurst is the inaugural recipient of a new bursary from the King’s Foundation, Royal Ascot, and Chanel.)
Guests included Kelly Osbourne, Bridgerton actor Martins Imhangbe, author Yomi Adegoke, and model Charli Howard. Stephen Jones posed with Virginia Bates, actor and beloved antique shop proprietor, lovingly fluffing her bird-like fascinator when posing for pictures. The room was full of creative luminaries, like award-winning British furniture designer Aaron Dunkerton, who has been making waves with his evolutionary clothes horse design. Couture milliner Victoria Grant turned heads with her own brilliant gold beret affixed with a neon flashing “CHAMPAGNE” sign.
Moët Chandon was definitely the tipple of choice for the evening, as well as Whispering Angel Provence Rosé. An abundance of canapés included lobster rolls and beetroot cured salmon blinis, lamb shoulder croquettes, and “CFC”—Claridge’s Fried Chicken bites. DJs Zara Martin, Kim Turnbull, and Pips Taylor played before and after the presentation.
The models moved slowly through the opulent high-ceiling room to sit in a colorful tableau. Rachel Trevor Morgan’s lady appeared as a vision in chartreuse, wearing an elegant wide-brimmed hat adorned with handmade flowers. “This was a perfect theme for me—my work is feminine and elegant,” says Trevor Morgan. Now 35 years into her business and having designed millinery regularly for the late Queen and Princess Catherine of Wales, Trevor Morgan’s design for the night revels in the intimacy of hand craftsmanship. While last year was all about neutrals and simple silhouettes, already, Trevor Morgan sees a move toward color and more free-spirited shapes. “We’ve got a very English aesthetic that people come to us for,” she says. The Kentucky Derby will anoint the season for her, and Ascot will keep her busy.
