At long last, Stephen Jones has brought his millinery genius to the high street, via Debenhams.

Top Hat, a collection of 21 hats and six occasion bags, launches today – and, having been ‘five or six’ years in discussion, the timing is just perfect, Jones tells us.

‘Debenhams always had really strong occasion clothing, but now younger people want to dress up for a special occasion. Suddenly that was fashionable again – it had not been for a very long time,’ he said.

‘It was kickstarted by the royal wedding; people around the world saw the British get dressed up and younger people saw the guests and thought, wait, they look as though they’re having a good time. I don’t think there’s been any sort of impetus or kick like that since Charles and Diana got married .’

Speaking of the royal wedding, we all know a certain Duchess who loves both a hat and a high street bargain – can Jones imagine her in a Top Hat look?

‘She’d be fantastic to have in one of the hats!’ he exclaimed. ‘And maybe the other Princesses too. It’s easier to wear things from the high street than spending hours and hours in fittings.’

Of course, the beauty of the collection is precisely that you don’t need a princely budget to afford them, with prices from just £30. ' This collection is for anybody who really has fun dressing up, wants to have a good time – to have a party on your head! I was inspired by and - things that were a little bit French, and a little bit coquettish, but at the same time I wanted to do something that was very English. It's a little in the middle-of-the-channel, I think.’

But if it’s a swim cap you’re looking for, move along. Fabulous is the bottom line here.