I’m super excited to start the new year off with a great new sponsor, one I think you’ll love… Starry Eyed Bowtique!  I came across Starry Eyed when Kristina/Pretty Shiny Sparkly mentioned buying pieces from Miss Taralee on Twitter.  (Aside: And Kristina, when do we see YOU in your pretty shiny sparkly headbands?)

Bam! Instant love.

How could I not?

• There’s that whole obsession with hair pieces.
• The prices $2.50-22, so they’re an inexpensive way to play with your style & push you outside your comfort zone.
• They’re great for girls of all ages–you glam it up, girl it up, and just feel pretty.
• Miss Taralee specializes is kawaii, too, selling all sorts of other adorable accouterments for your life (like, I REALLY need a bling’d cell phone case, OK? I just do, and I don’t need justify it!)
• She’s a sparkly, stunning, creative 20 year old, who loves sequins, unicorns & head accessories (I’m pretty sure we’d have been BFF in undergrad).

Describe the girl who loves Starry Eyed accessories:
Girls who love Starry Eyed accessories are trendsetters. They’re confident in their style and can rock a huge hair bow with ease. She could be a girly girl or into alternative styles. That’s what’s so great about girls who love my accessories. They’re all so diverse and unique so I offer a wide range of bows to suit different tastes in fashion.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by so many things. For me, it’s not necessarily other designs in the fashion world that I am inspired by. It’s much more simple than that. I spend so much time just looking at fabrics to turn into bows. When I see a fabric that I just cannot resist, I feel inspired to create. I am also inspired by bright and vibrant colours, sparkly pieces and anything that will add a bit of fabulous to an outfit.

If you could put any piece of your pieces on the body of any person, which piece on who, and why?
I would love to put my HUGE Bright Pink PVC Hair Bow onto Katy Perry. I have always been a fan of her and I really like the outfits she wears to perform in. They’re always bright and sparkly. There’s a sense of fun in her outfits that I think would be complimented by a huge bow. (Ashe: I love this! Perfectly matched.)

If you could create a collection, without cost, supplies, and inspiration holding you back, what elements would we see in it?
You would definitely see lots of pvc. Even more colours than I carry now. I love working with pvc for hair bows. I really like the way that they look even more so than any other bows that I create. Apart from that, you’d see lots of sparkle. More fabrics featuring sequins and bows covered in Swarovski Crystals. I’ve always wanted to do a limited edition mini-sized bow covered in crystals.

What can we expect from you in the future?
I’m actually working on a couple of secret projects at the moment which I can’t wait to unveil. Secretive, I know but I always feel like if I reveal too much before it happens I’ll jinx it. I also plan on introducing more tiny hair bow sets into the shop. I’m already working on some sets made out of pvc which are turning out quite nicely. My goal is to always offer a variety of pieces that will suit a wide range of fashion senses.

I’ve got a few pieces en route from Miss Taralee, and I can’t wait to show them off to you!  (I also MAY have picked up a few for belated Christmas gifts for some gal pals… shh!)  These are going to be my go-to pieces come Mardi Gras, when I need to catch some attention!

Thank you to Taralee/Starry-eyed for sharing this love with us.  You should follow her on Twitter, and check out her blog–she’s holding monthly giveaways!

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed Dramatis Personae Loves… Starry Eyed Bowtique, please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

My lady, Miss Malaprop, along with one of her amazing designers, John Doherty Design + Iron, were super awesome to offer to host a giveaway for one of his beautiful stainless steel fleur de lis necklaces (see picture below).

To be frank, I’m really a bit jealous of this giveaway, as I’ve been coveting one of these babies for ages! Our girl friend Jene has his hurricane fleur de lis necklace as a tattoo, and despite how cliche SOME people think it is, I love the fleur de lis as a symbol of everything New Orleans has overcome with Hurricane Katrina.

A few words with John Doherty

Describe the girl/guy who loves your accessories:
My Twisted Fleur de Lis pendants are worn by men and women  across the spectrum but most have an extremely strong connection to the City of New Orleans and several suffered heavy losses from Hurricane Katrina.

What are your inspirations?
The Twisted Fleur de Lis sculpture and jewelry designs were a natural result of an upbringing in the New Orleans area but the ideas didn’t  get transferred to actual metal until the weeks following Hurricane Katrina.  I was, as many from the area were, very concerned about friends and relatives that were unaccounted for as well as the condition of their homes. I felt making the earliest versions of this fleur de lis was a constructive diversion at the time.

If you could put any piece from your collection on the body of any person, which piece on who, and why?
That is an easy one for me.  It would have to be Drew Brees, wearing the “Twisted Fleur de Lis” pendant in stainless steel or possibly gold.  My design was created while New Orleans was underwater and Drew Brees along with the Saints contributed greatly in lifting the spirit of the city out of the muck.

If you could create a collection, without cost, supplies, and inspiration holding you back, what elements would we see in it?
I could envision the use of new or additional materials and the designs would naturally have to follow the properties of these materials.  I do have interest in exploring titanium as well as non-metallic elements.

What can we expect in your upcoming collections?
I have plans for a few more pendant designs in stainless steel but other than that, I’ll just have to see what strikes me at that time.

Giveaway!

• Leave a comment on this post with your favorite piece from the Miss Malaprop Shop!  So easy.
• The giveaway ends November 22nd.
• The winner will be chosen at random, and we’ll contact the winner by November 26th.
• Contest is open internationally!

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed John Doherty Design//Miss Malaprop Fleur De Lis Necklace Giveaway!, please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

You know the great thing about Indie Designers? The great ones seem to flock together.  I’d first seem cookoorikoo chatting up the Ureshii gals on Twitter.  When Emily & Amanda are getting excited over fascinators & hair accessories, I HAD to check her site out.

Shana got in touch with me a few weeks later, and I was really smitten by how much we had in common– a shared love of New Orleans, friends-of-friends in common.  There’s something really down-to-earth and incredibly likable about Shana (I’m looking forward to her visiting the city and maybe stealing her for a cup of coffee!).

She sent along some sweet treats from her  shop– stunning jewel-toned yo-yo accessories made from silk dupoini, including the Spiderweb plume fascinator, the Hellebore ring (which is the most ridiculously lightweight ring I’ve ever worn),   Cookoorikoo accessories are the best of what I love– feminine, yet bold statement pieces for my hair, neck, and fingertips.

Shana was sweet enough to share some words about her shop, accessories, and the work she does….

Describe the girl who loves cookoorikoo accessories:
I can’t actually do that. The benefit of doing shows like Renegade is that you meet your customers and I have to say, mine are all over the map. Girls like me who although aren’t conventionally girly do have a weakness for shiny things. Girls who are all out girly 100% of the time. Older women who still want to feel girly. It seems like a bit of a non-answer but its true – girls who wear cookoorikoo are like almost every girl you know.  [Ed: This SO seems right to me.... I feel like for every aspect of my personality, every "girl" I am, there's something of hers that appeals to me!]

What are your inspirations?
Flowers, old movies, vintage hats, paint chips, trips to the antique store, grand old ladies and 5 year old girls. And yo-yos – the simplicity of a circle of fabric, sewn and folded in on itself. I often dream about ordinary objects, completely covered in yo-yos.

If you could put any piece from your collection on the body of any person, which piece on who, and why?
A few months ago Amanda Palmer tweeted a picture of herself wearing one of my fascinators and I almost died from joy. That experience makes this a difficult question to answer. I am always just happy to see the things I make out in the world, worn by women of all ages, shapes and all with wildly varying fashion sense. The greatest compliments I’ve received from women regarding my work is that they felt pretty while wearing something I’ve made. So, seeing something I’ve made worn by a celebrity again would be very cool. Even better though? The pictures and thank you notes I’ve received from brides.

If you could create a collection, without cost, supplies, and inspiration holding you back, what elements would we see in it?
There’d be actual hats (not just fascinators) with silk, vintage millinery flowers, ribbon and feathers – oh my god the feathers! And really, if i’m going to daydream, there would be clothes. Dresses i’ve been designing in my head for years would finally get made. There’d be silk yoyos everywhere.

What can we expect in your upcoming collections?
More one of a kind pieces. And more actual collections. I used to just make and make and make with little or no concern for the upcoming season. I just made things that I liked, things I thought other people would like too. I still do that but I try to keep the colors of the season in mind.

Thank you, Shana! And like she says–go ahead, buy yourself something pretty. (I know I will be– this necklace, this necklace, this stunning red fascinator and this ring are now on my covet-covet list!  Sigh. There’s no hope for me…)

Oooh ooh! Shana & Cookoorikoo are having a Fall Sale–30% off select fasincators, necklaces, and more (including some of the pieces I want).   Check it out!

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed Indie Designers: cookoorikoo, please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

When Sophie at Diary of a Young Designer got in touch with me about her Etsy shop, Funny People Co., I couldn’t have been more delighted.  Because what popped up in my inbox?  Hair accessories!  Vibrant, playful, and sweet headbands– I couldn’t resist.

With classes beginning at work soon, and Gossip Girl returning to the air in just a few weeks (I know I’m excited!),  Sophie’s collection of headbands is perfectly timed for that fresh, Fall feeling (she even has The Gossip Girl collection of headbands adorned with roses, ropes, chains, bows, or medallions).  AND they’re all priced between $8-18, making it easy to pick up a ton for your back-to-school wardrobe.

I’d say gals (and hopefully dudes sometime in the future) that have a thing for style and an urge to be different and stand out and wear stuff their friends haven’t seen on anyone else.

What are your inspirations?
Anything can be inspiring. A vintage photoshoot, a song on the radio, maybe the color scheme on a flower–truly absolutely anything can trigger an idea in my little head.

If you could put any piece from your collection on the body of any person, which piece on who, and why?
I would definitely love to have Audrey Hepburn wear my Audrey Stripes Turban Headband (yes it was actually inspired by a pic I saw of her wearing stripes, lol). Why? Because she was just the type of girl who’s simplicity and charm would make any trend work for her.

If you could create a collection, without cost, supplies, and inspiration holding you back, what elements would we see in it?
Lots of sparkly things, pearl beads, loads of chiffon and silk! I’d be very fun yet chic and refined; more like Chanel reinvented, lol.

What can we expect in your upcoming collections?
You can totally expect loads of color, more embellished tights with lovely bows and  a t-shirt collection in the near future.

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed Indie Designers: Funny People Co., please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

I recently came across these adorable handmade animal clutches by TsuruBride; instantly I knew that I had to get in touch with Meg, the owner of this whimsical and adorable shop.  Meg creates “Orwell” leather clutches, card holders, and iPod cases with playful critters on them–hedgehogs, owls, and assorted sea creatures.

The attention to detail on these bags are absolutely beautiful– each looks carefully cut and sewn to create an animated, playful caricature of their real life counterpart. I love that the bags featured an adorable polka dot lining and a dainty pocket.  Meg was kind enough to take time out of her crafting schedule to answer my 5 favorite questions…

Describe the girl/guy who uses TsuruBride accessories:
TsuruBride is really for anyone with a sense of humor and who isn’t afraid to get noticed.  For me, fashion is about having fun, and I think my customer gets that as well.

What are your inspirations?
Most of my inspiration these days comes from nature.  I’ll see a squirrel running across the street, and wonder what it would look like as a purse.  I’ll search through old nature books, and my best friend is Google images, to help create my designs.  For my newer line of Artisan Purses, I’ve been researching animal-based mythology to create pieces with an extra sense of wonder.  I’m also inspired by other artists & crafters.  Seeing the work they put together, and the heart & soul they put into their own pieces, pushes me to do more.

If you could put any piece from your collection on the body of any person, which piece on who, and why?
I’d love to see Zooey Deschanel with one of my Orwell Clutches, albeit a pleather version since she’s a vegan.  She has such a great sense of style, and a quirkiness to her, that I think would work well with one of my whimsical animals.

If you could create a collection, without cost, supplies, and inspiration holding you back, what elements would we see in it?
Oh my, too many choices!  On one hand, I’d love to expand and fully develop my line of dolls – really go all out with it.  On the other hand, with unlimited resources, I might go back to my first love – clothing, and create a line that would be complimentary to my purses.  A mix a fabulous evening wear and pop pieces, for a head to toe TsuruBride look.  I’m thinking hand-dyed silks for flowing gowns and structured separates, all done in a bright palette.

What can we expect in upcoming collections from you?
Definitely more the same amusing pieces: a doll of a tiger in a rabbit suit, a hammerhead shark card holder, an Orwell clutch of a snail, an Artisan clutch of a goldfish, and the list goes on.  I’m also tinkering with some new concepts that aren’t fully fleshed out yet.

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed Indie Designers: TsuruBride, please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.