Head On at the London College of Fashion

The exhibition space at the London College of Fashion is somewhat limited in size, yet one room and adjacent cabinets are certainly used to maximise impact in the new millinery show: Head On.

"While contemporary society no longer dictates the daily use of hats, the appetite for millinery on the catwalk, in editorial and even on the high street, continues to flourish," says the preamble. Focusing on decorative millinery, the exhibition features mannequins styled to incorporate headwear as part of a total look. 

Dress by AF Vandervorst, hat by Stephen Jones

Dress by Giles Deacon, millinery by Stephen Jones

You would probably get very odd looks if you wore any of these outfits - and the curious headwear doesn't look to be very practical. However, ShopCurious drew attention to the emerging trend of promoting fashion as art some years ago.

Dress by Gareth Pugh, headwear by Philip Treacy

Dress by Yiqing, headpiece by Paul Stafford

The show runs until 23rd March, so do pop in to see the display if you are in the Oxford Street area. 

Will you?

Mad hats or timeless turbans?

Yesterday my photograph appeared in the ‘What are you wearing?’ column of Sunday Times Style. I was wearing one of my curious hats – a Mad Hatter style creation that was made to my unique specification by talented milliner, Katherine Goodison. I was also wearing a fabulous pair of Vivienne Westwood mauve platform shoes. No, not on my head... at least not on that occasion.









I love theatrical headwear, but it’s not always practical to go out with a precariously balanced hoodoo of haberdashery on one's head. Of course, we’ve a fantastic array of hair accessories at ShopCurious, from simple one size headbands to rare, retro feather hats...







However, I wanted to offer the Curious Cognoscenti something really glamorous, yet also totally comfortable. So I used some DIY design to create these curiously dramatic turbans, which are upcycled from scraps of exotic vintage fabric, and embellished with flower corsages, jewels and feather trimmings. They're available on the website now too.






Turbans were very popular in the golden days of Hollywood. I was wondering if this was because the actresses usually wore wigs and wanted to cover their damaged hair? Turbans are really handy if your hair’s in a bit of a mess – I could certainly have done with one when the photo above was taken.







Turbans are also light to wear and the ones shown here could even be folded up and kept in a handbag, to jazz up an outfit as required.








They're pretty timeless too – and can work as part of a Bohemian casual look, or with more formal, arty attire.











Anyway, I hope you agree that not all hats are mad...

Do you?

The Silk Route

I feel like I must be the only person in London who's sitting at a desk writing a blog. Anyone sensible must surely be on holiday now, which is why I've decided to dedicate a few blogs to the tempting topic of travel...

and silk scarves, which as we know can come in very handy on your hols - as illustrated here.





We've just got a new collection of stylish silk scarves at ShopCurious, many of which are unique 1950s tourist memorabilia from an eclectic mix of destinations around the world. Not only are these highly individual accessories, but each one has a tale to tell - and they make a rather unusual gift for someone who has an interest in, or an association with the location featured.




Although most of these places probably aren't on the original Silk Route, I thought it would be interesting to spend the next few days going on a bit of a tour of the some of the countries and cities featured on these vintage silk squares.



My curiously colourful virtual trip starts in Europe with Holland, Paris, Sicily, Milan and Spain. Then travelling further afield to more exotic hotspots: The Canaries, Aden and Djibouti, before finishing down under with New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea.


When travelling, it's always essential to plan ahead - so why not do some advance preparation based on a headwear trend that's set to become one of the biggest fashion stories of the coming year.

I hope you'll join me on my curious excursions around the globe.
Will you?