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| Picture by Miguel Reveriego courtesy of The Daily Mail www.dailymail.co.uk |
ISABELLA BLOW (19 November 1958- 6 May 2007)
International style icon. Hat designer.
Isabella Blow was a contributing fashion editor -at-large at British magazine
Tatler, also worked on U.S. Vogue and The Sunday Times Style magazine in
London.
She was the muse of a milliner Philip Treacy , she discovered and helped to
launch the carriers of the top models Stella Tennant, and Sophie Dahl as well
as the fashion designer Alexander McQueen.
through the tragic death of her young brother, her parents divorce, and disinheritance of her father’s ₤3,962,702
fortune.
She left the family house and moved to a London squat after hew father remarried and the stepmother came with
her three daughters.
Later on she packed up her hats, her coats, and her shoes and left the Hilles- her marital house, after her mother-in-
law claimed the place back saying that it should be a home for exactly the future generations Detmar Blow and Issie
had failed to provide.
She was working in a scone shop, selling appricot-studded scone. She was a cleaner in London, and she was
wearing a handkerchief with knots on the side. In 1979 she came to New York to study ancient Chinese art at
Columbia. She was sharing a room with Catherine Oxenberg, and met with Andy Warhol.
In 1980, Blow moved to West Texas to work for the designer Guy Laroche, but returned back to New York in a year.
She was working at Vogue for Anna Wintour and later on for André Leon Talley.
In 1986 she returned back to England, where she knew she belonged.
She worked at Tatler magazine as a fashion editor and brand consultant, but was in fact a “muse” and
“inspiration” behind the glamorous fashion curtain. She had a remarkable eye for talent.
She was fascinated by Philip Treacy when he was still a student and first came to Tatler. She asked him to make a
hat for her wedding (a helmet, to be more specific) And than she suggested that he should move in her house and
start making hats. He does hats now for almost every runway show that has hats, and has a factory by Battersea
Park.
Blow absolutely loved Alexander McQueen’s work when she was watching his graduating seniors project at St.
Martin’s fashion college, and she bought his whole collection. Now Alexander McQueen has boutiques in London,
Paris, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Milan, Rome, Nice, Cannes, Manchester (UK), Athens, Moscow, Tokyo, Osaka,
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Taipei.
Her life was like a huge fashion show. The world was fascinated with her hats, with the way she dressed.
Even her funeral at Gloucestershire was a glamorous catwalk with 50 fantastic black hats that Treacy made, endless
lipstick, high heels and fashion, fashion, fashion…
fortune.
She left the family house and moved to a London squat after hew father remarried and the stepmother came with
her three daughters.
Later on she packed up her hats, her coats, and her shoes and left the Hilles- her marital house, after her mother-in-
law claimed the place back saying that it should be a home for exactly the future generations Detmar Blow and Issie
had failed to provide.
She was working in a scone shop, selling appricot-studded scone. She was a cleaner in London, and she was
wearing a handkerchief with knots on the side. In 1979 she came to New York to study ancient Chinese art at
Columbia. She was sharing a room with Catherine Oxenberg, and met with Andy Warhol.
In 1980, Blow moved to West Texas to work for the designer Guy Laroche, but returned back to New York in a year.
She was working at Vogue for Anna Wintour and later on for André Leon Talley.
In 1986 she returned back to England, where she knew she belonged.
She worked at Tatler magazine as a fashion editor and brand consultant, but was in fact a “muse” and
“inspiration” behind the glamorous fashion curtain. She had a remarkable eye for talent.
She was fascinated by Philip Treacy when he was still a student and first came to Tatler. She asked him to make a
hat for her wedding (a helmet, to be more specific) And than she suggested that he should move in her house and
start making hats. He does hats now for almost every runway show that has hats, and has a factory by Battersea
Park.
Blow absolutely loved Alexander McQueen’s work when she was watching his graduating seniors project at St.
Martin’s fashion college, and she bought his whole collection. Now Alexander McQueen has boutiques in London,
Paris, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Milan, Rome, Nice, Cannes, Manchester (UK), Athens, Moscow, Tokyo, Osaka,
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Taipei.
Her life was like a huge fashion show. The world was fascinated with her hats, with the way she dressed.
Even her funeral at Gloucestershire was a glamorous catwalk with 50 fantastic black hats that Treacy made, endless
lipstick, high heels and fashion, fashion, fashion…
| ISABELLA BLOW: "SO THE WORLD MET THE HAT AND THEY FELL IN LOVE…* |
*Originally: “So the coat met the hat and they fell in love”- a famous saying by Detmar Blow about his marriage to Isabella.
Detmar and Isabella met at the Salisbury Cathedral in London in 1988 during a wedding. Isabella was wearing an ostrich-feather
hat. Detmar was wearing the pink coat his grandfather had once worn as ambassador from Sri Lanka. He saw a girl passing by and
said, “I love your hat”. She said she liked his coat but wished she was wearing her violet shoes for him. Then they went to the
reception and talked, and talked… Sixteen days later, they were engaged.
Detmar and Isabella met at the Salisbury Cathedral in London in 1988 during a wedding. Isabella was wearing an ostrich-feather
hat. Detmar was wearing the pink coat his grandfather had once worn as ambassador from Sri Lanka. He saw a girl passing by and
said, “I love your hat”. She said she liked his coat but wished she was wearing her violet shoes for him. Then they went to the
reception and talked, and talked… Sixteen days later, they were engaged.
The live story of Isabella Blow is a story of Cinderella, but with a sad
ending.
She was born in a family of a military officer and a barrista in London in
1958. She lived with her family in a small house in Cheshire, on the
grounds of her family’ estate Doddington. The main house had been
taken away for the gambling debts of her grandfather. She survived
ending.
She was born in a family of a military officer and a barrista in London in
1958. She lived with her family in a small house in Cheshire, on the
grounds of her family’ estate Doddington. The main house had been
taken away for the gambling debts of her grandfather. She survived