MASTER HATTER TREACY IS WAY A HEAD OF HIS PEERS

They revere him in England. Camilla Parker Bowles even gave him poetic license to design her wedding headpieces. But now the man who could do no wrong on top has turned his genius to designing footwear and apparel for men and women. The new collection called Philip Treacy for Umbro was unveiled at London Fashion Week.

For his autumn/winter 2006-2007 collection the Irish designer created day-glow geometric squiggles which appeared to have been drawn, cartoon-style, across the models' features.

Supermodel Alek Wek wore the structured fuchsia "flame" and a head-hugging beanie with spiral detail, while Erin O'Connor sported free floating glass-eye frames in hot pink.

Who says unconformity isn’t the way to the top? This is a man who defies gravity and convention, and not only gets away with it, but he blazes a path where no one has gone before. And guess what, everyone else follows him.