My Pre-Valentine Trunk Show

It's All Hearts and Flowers
at East Village Hats
What a shocker. It's February, and I have not posted on Femme et Fleur since December. Perhaps this can be attributed to my being extremely busy preparing mes chapeaux for my Pre-Valentine Trunk Show of hats and necklaces at East Village Hats.

Of course it's Pre-Valentine because the day of amour is still two weeks away as of this writing. Last night we partied and unveiled the hats and necklaces, although there was no veiling on my hats, just plenty of color, fripperies, feathers and flowers.

My host for this show is Julia Emily Knox, milliner and proprietor of East Village Hats, located at 80 East 7th Street in Manhattan. Julia's "Hatworks and Millinery," features both off-the-rack and custom hats handcrafted using traditional methods with felts, straws and lovely trims.

A heart-felt (double pun intended) thank you must be extended to my sister, Jeanne Markel. Not only did she help me get my hats to the shop, but she also took these wonderful photos of the event.

 We had a bit of time before the event, so we snuggled into

a corner banquette at Cafe Mocha.

I am wearing one of my trademark patchwork cloches, 

a wine-cork necklace of my own invention, a bracelet

gifted to me by my step-daughter, Dianna, and

my Zuri-Kenya dress.

 Joining me at the Cafe, are Jeanne and her son, Jack Wedge.

Jack has just returned from London, where an animated film

that he co-created with Gabrielle Ledet, was shown at

the Barbican Centre's Video Jam x Basquiat.

 I am with one of my bonnets adorned with vintage

flowers perched on my hand-painted mannequin

and surrounded by a string of my lacquered beads.

 Two of my hats on Julia's lovely lace-

covered mannequins with the

Corker Girl necklace.

The figures, hand-colored by me, are

cut outs from a 1930 Galleries Lafayette catalog.

The yellow and blue straw is hand-painted,

and is called "Bathing Cap".

 The white hat is trimmed with little water lilies.

The necklace, although it sports a huge diamond,

will not set you back as much as a similar gem

would if purchased at Tiffany.

 

Jeanne and I with the sidewalk

chalkboard.

 Posing with two gorgeous girls.

The feathers are vintage from the 1940s.

 She wears the hats and beads so well.

 My good friends, The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas, Valerie and Jean.

 Martina, looking enchanting in  the blue cloche.

The orange pouf on the back is actually part

of her own ensemble.

 Martina has such flair and wears this

so well. The pouf has now migrated to the decolletage.

 She is modeling a straw from

the East Village Hats collection,

and my beads.

 My girls in a convivial mood.

I try on a fascinator by Julia.

A Bientot!