>> Today is an apt day to be posting about I Don't Like Mondays's new gallery adventure because a) it's not a Monday and b) better yet, it's a Friday… just the sort of day to be raising our arms into the air, waving them about because the weekend is here and if you are so inclined, perching a suitably extravagant head dress over summer-matted hair. I Don't Like Mondays' Gallery project is an ongoing venture which sees unique collaborations between artists and stores to create wearable one-off pieces – or at least, push the boundaries of wearability to the upper limit. The last artist Shin Murayama has created vicious looking masks out of trainers and my favourite one… sheepskin and can ring pulls forming a decidedly scary teeth-ridden beard…
A gentler approach is on its way though. No more roaring with ring pulls. Flighty head dress label Little Doe is the latest IDLM Gallery collaborator. Designer behind the label Chase Cohl (described as a blogosphere IT girl? Oh no, how frightening… I need to brush up on my blogosphere IT girl knowledge there…). Two of them are completely one-of-kind‚Ķ and the other two are limited pieces. No prizes for guessing the one-offs especially when they feature a real antique iron crown, beautiful blue/yellow macaque feathers, taxidermy butterflies (the one below) and 19th century gold tapestry and a fanned out bird wing (the last one). The limited pieces are simpler but not less beautiful with the delicate chains and freshwater pearls. I'm hesitating to ask IDLM how much these pieces are but seeing as 50% of the sales goes to Designers Against Aids, then someone with very deep philanthropic pockets will step up and have their heads crowned in Little Doe glory…
I'm not sure if this is the latest collection but it's all the sort of sun drenched, desert-filled magic that is hitting its stride at the moment…
magic imagines!
like a dream.
simona http://www.thestylehelp.blogspot.com
I find that collage kinda iffy. Maybe the designer could check this blog out? http://mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com
Absolutely beautiful..really like the way they’re put together…
Wow! I love the magical/mystical vibe.
Oh god not more of this stupid headdress bullshit
Eline: I did the collage of the lookbook images… apologies! I’m not great at Photoshop!
Kathryn: Yes, I get what you mean but I do love the special collaboration pieces for IDLM… especially with regards to the materials used…
Little Doe’s crowns are absolutely stunning. they look so delicate and precious. great details and especially loved the use of feathers. the face/beard piece is a little more rough, reminded me a little bit of that Alexander McQueen photo of him wearing a face scarf with the teeth print. great post
http://elenavasilieva.blogspot.com/
I discovered Little Doe a while ago too! I’m in love with the ambiances and shamanic like inspirations!
They’re definitely better than most of what I see hipsters wearing but I think it touches too closely to a very insensitive trend!
really lovely!!
http://leblogdemasha.blogspot.com/
Susie, I did not at all mean to criticise your more than capable Photoshopping but the designer itself…
A lot of Native Americans are coming forward and explaining that white girls posing like a “savage”, wearing a headdress is pretty damn racist. I don’t mean to criticise you, and completely understand it going over a lot of people’s heads (mine included) but I’d be nice if people blindly following this trend could check out this blog: http://mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com/
I’ll echo Eline here. There’s a lot of writing about the “hipster headress” going around right now that’s worth reading; in the shortest form, the argument against points out that the genocidal practices directed at indigenous peoples has always included the suppression or outright destruction of indigenous cultures — while “preserving” them for non-indigenous peoples to enjoy (as museum “artefacts” or fashion inspiration). I’ll start with this round-up I did for Threadbared:
http://iheartthreadbared.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/linkage-the-feather-in-your-native-cap/
And this post from a l’allure garconniere:
http://alagarconniere.blogspot.com/2010/06/love-letters-and-cultural-appropriation.html
In addition to My Culture Is Not A Trend, there’s also Native Appropriations which deals with the appropriation of indigenous aesthetics or “artefacts” (whether fake or real):
http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com
Very interesting mask on the Gentleman.
There is some serious creativity on display here. Rather enjoyable I must say!