This summer, I had the great honour of creating hats for a truly magical occasion: an opera performance at the Surrealist Picnic at Farleys House and Gallery.
Farleys, once the home of photographer Lee Miller and surrealist artist Roland Penrose, is now a house and garden alive with art, history, and imagination. Each August, its gardens are transformed for the Surrealist Picnic, an annual celebration of creativity filled with music, costumes, performance, and play—an event that feels as if it has stepped straight out of a dream.
I was delighted to invite my dear friend, the internationally renowned opera singer Charlotte Wicks, to perform at this year’s Picnic. Even more special, she was joined by the wonderful Ellie Laugharne. Their performance was already breathtaking, but when they stepped onto the stage wearing my hats, the moment became dreamlike—an artwork within an artwork.
For them, I designed theatrical tilt hats shaped as ships drifting across a star-filled sea. Some stars were set on the ends of fine wires so they caught the sunlight and sparkled as the singers moved, adding a touch of wonder to the performance.
The ship motif held a special meaning. It was inspired by the story of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose when they first met: living in different countries, separated by a sea, they filled their love letters with longing and imagined voyages towards one another. The hats became not just stage pieces, but symbols of dreams, journeys, and love crossing distance.
It was a joy to see these creations come alive at Farleys, a place where surrealism, poetry, and imagination continue to sail forward.
