The Hat Affair Loves... Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn is a legendary style icon. Her relationship with designer Givenchy created some of the most memorable moments on screen. The opening of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' springs to mind with Audrey in her LBD and diamonds.

It may surprise you when I say that the costumes I love the most are in 'Paris When it Sizzles'. They were timeless with there classic lines and effortless luxury.

This season the 60's have had a come back and elements of Givenchy's design's echo throughout many collections. Why not take a leaf out of Audrey's book and give some of this seasons looks a try...

Audrey Hepburn wearing Givenchy in 'Paris When it Sizzles'
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Click link for source

Roksanda Ilincic sessler colour-block wool-crepe dress

Available at NET-A-PORTER.COM

Dolce & Gabbana cutout floral brocade dress
Available at NET-A-PORTER.COM

Audrey in Givenchy Suit in openning of 'Paris When it Sizzles'
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Simone Rocha wafer-mesh dress
Available at NET-A-PORTER.COM

Audrey Hepburn in Pink Givenchy dress in 'Paris When it Sizzles'
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Jason Wu leather and suede pleated dress

Available at NET-A-PORTER

Audrey Hepburn in White Givenchy dress in 'Paris When it Sizzles'
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Preen by Thornton Bregazzi
flo stretch-sateen jersey dress
Available at NET-A-PORTER.COM

Audrey Hepburn images from various sources (see links)

All other images from NET-A-PORTER.COM

Spring is on its way... Gorman style...

Gorman Double trouble anorak and Bindi dress

Gorman Third eye dress

I think we can all agree that Spring is the season for colour. We can pack away the black and the brown and put on something with a bit more livelyness. I breathe a sigh of relief after the abysmal fashion that we experienced over Winter, is it any wonder that most of it still sits on the store shelf. After long shopping trips (I actually don't like shopping that much. I like to get in and out.) coming home with nothing, I concluded that the designers (or buyers, you can choose which) had lost their way.

Gorman Born to run tank

Gorman Blind ambition skirt

So it is nice to see that at least for Spring they seem to have gotten back into the groove. But lets face it we live in Australia where sun shines for most of the year, so of course Spring is going to be above and beyond anything they produce for Winter.

My rant aside as you know I love Gorman and this Spring looks very promising, fingers crossed that they have some more artist collaborations, the prints last Spring/Summer were amazing.

From your,

Gorman Girl xxx

The Pocket Square... A little taste of luxury...

Recently mens style has seen a resurgence in all things dapper, including the pocket square. Trend setters have been wearing these squares of fancy for a while.

Pocket squares are taking their place as a fashion staple for the dapper mens suit. Coming in an array of outrageous colours and prints, pocket squares are quite simple to make.

I'll show you how... All it takes is your fabric of choice, thread, scissors, a needle and a sewing machine. The best pocket squares have a rolled hem, this is easy to achieve once you know how. However some also feature a zig zag stitch in a contrasting coloured thread. So if you aren't confident with your hand sewing you might like to try this option instead.

Pocket Square with a Rolled Hem

Cut out your chosen fabric in a square 32 x 32cm. Using a matching thread sew a line all the way around with your sewing machine .5cm from the edge. Press with an iron.

Then take your needle and thread (now is time for the hand sewing!) and carefully fold along the stitching line then fold it again, so that it touches the back or wrong side of the fabric. (This is when you could do the zig zag option instead. Just top stitch the fold in the zig zag stitch, or even in a straight stitch if you prefer.) Then stitch the roll down by catching the stitching line to the back of the fabric. Being carefull not to catch too much fabric, so the stitch is invisible.

The corners are a little tricky if you would like a mitred corner. This requires you to fold the corner in and then each side of the fabric so that they meet, as seen in the photograph.

Just sew each edge, do each corner the same and voila! You have a finished pocket square!

'Hedonism: Pleasure is the greatest good'... New designs from Banks & Bell...

It has been a while since I have shown any of my hats, so I thought I would share a couple with you today. It seems that every time I make something new I want to push myself, which isn't such a bad thing. These two pieces were created with specific events in mind. However I had long been toying with using leather and wool together and I have been thrilled the result.

This collection titled 'Hedonism: Pleasure is the greatest good' has been inspired by architectural shape and form and the utilitarian minimalism of the 1940's. I wanted to created pieces that were beautiful with hidden depths.

Architect Frank Gehry was the idea behind the 'Merge' hat. I liked the way his buildings have a fluid movement about them and fold back on themselves.

'Merge' Hat p.o.a

Frank Gehry’s – City of Wine Complex, Northern Spain

'Fly Away With Me' was a play with the style of hats worn by airforce pilots during the second world war, interlaced with utilitarian shapes worn by women in the 1940's.

'Fly Away With Me' Hat p.o.a

If you are not aware I design and make hats under the lable Banks & Bell. Currently I am only stocking online, however I hope that in the future my pieces will be available in store. If you are interested in purchasing either piece, please direct your inquires to banksandbell@gmail.com

References
Architectural image from: http://freshome.com/2012/08/17/iconic-legends-the-10-greatest-modern-architects-of-our-time/