The Secret Lives Of Hats. :-)

My passion for my art has no boundaries. It became absolutely clear to me after the conversation I had with one of my less passionate colleagues, who noted to me in almost disbelief that " you speak about hats as though they are live creatures! ". :-) Well, yes, I do.

Anya Caliendo.Couture Millinery Atelier.

I should also, probably, admit that I often think of women as hats. I can take one single look at any lady and immediately know how she would look if she would be a hat. If you could only see a parade of hats in my head when I go to the parties: elegant cloches, elaborate fascinator confections and even distasteful creatures full of crystals and ostrich feathers. Does it sound a little crazy to you? :-)

Hat Boxes Of My Atelier Designed by Me.

I have repeated once again: I believe that each hat possesses incredible, almost mystical power of transformation. This is the only type of accessory that can change not only your entire style, but persona too. This single powerful ability would not be possible without one very important ingredient - the soul. Each hat does have a soul, even more, each hat has it's own character!

For example, did you know that one hat can wait for its owner for years? It sits on the shelf along and forgotten for a very long time. Suddenly, one day, a lady walks into the Atelier without any particular purpose. She passes the "forgotten" hat without giving it a single look. Unexpectedly, the hat falls off the shelf and lands on the floor in a desperate attempt to attract attention of this lady. At the end, both lady and the "forgotten" hat know in some unexplainable manner that they have found each other. And they live happily ever after.:-)

Millinery Studio

Once in a great while, I come across what I call a "stubborn" hat. It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen and when it does it can be extremely frustrating. Everything goes wrong with this type of hat: it gets spots God knows from where, every little detail on this hat becomes a task: attaching simple ribbon or bow or even button takes hours, the thread keeps breaking, you loose needles and you loose patience.

It is as if the hat doesn't want to be created at all. I have learned the hard way to simply leave "stubborn" hat along for a while and then come back to it later. Very often, this little "time out" changes the mind of the hat entirely and it lets me finish my design without any problem at all. While working in Mr. Jones Atelier I discovered that he has the same problem too! It appears that one hat in every Collection becomes a "stubborn" hat and causes a lot of trouble.:-)

Sometimes I have a pleasure of working with "unexpected" hats. I love them the most, because to me they have a mind of their own. I can spend countless hours sketching one single design, choosing fabrics and materials, but once I sit down at my working table magic occurs. I realize that my original design and choice of materials are all wrong. I abandon them and improvise sometimes without having a slightest idea of what the final result would look like. It is as if the hat wants to be created the way it wants to be created. Does it make any sense to you? :-)))

Millinery Display

Hats are very fragile creatures, they love to be spoiled and taken out for a walk. They love to live in well protected hat boxes, but if left there for two long they loose their spirit. The color slowly fades, the fabric slightly deforms - the hat simply falls into depression! I always try to prevent it from happening by taking the hats out of the boxes and letting them breath. I wear all my hats with great pleasure and we both enjoy a company of each other. :-)

Mr. Stephen Jones in his Atelier.

Did you know that when storing any hat in the hat box you need to use aroma free fine colorless tissue paper? Long time ago it was very fashionable to store hats wrapped in perfumed tissue paper inside the hat boxes. I would not recommend it - fabrics have an extraordinary ability to absorb smells. Perfume smell gradually changes with time and often not in a good way.

P.S. Oh, and almost forgot! Did you know that hats can whisper? Where clothes hang simply on a rail, hats whisper to you: " Try me on...I am beautiful ! " ....

Cecil Beaton. Resurrection in Fabrics.

Dior 1957, photographed by Cecil Beaton
Cecil Beaton...It is impossible not to love him. Born in 1904 in London and coming of age at the peak of the 20s, Cecil Beaton was in love with the worlds of high society, theater, and glamour. Beauty in his hands was transformed into elegance, fantasy, romance and charm.His inspired amateurism led to a following among fashionable debutantes and eventually a full fledged career as the foremost fashion and portrait photographer of his day. He was so attuned to the changes of fashion that his career maintained its momentum for five decades; from the Sitwells to the Rolling Stones.I am sure you will be able to find billions of articles dedicated to the artistic genius of this Artist in the Internet. Today I would like to share with you an unexpected discovery I have made a little while ago.:-) I have decided to call it Beaton's resurrection in fabrics.

Cecil Beaton's Drawing Room

Photography By Cecil Beaton

Photography By Cecil Beaton

"Garbo's Eye" created after Cecil Beaton's Sketches

In October of 2009, when I was still working in Stephen Jones Atelier in London, I came upon fabulous selection of fabrics chosen by Stephen for his new Spring-Summer 2010 Collection. The work on hats for this Collection was just about to start. One of the choices was nothing like I ever seen before thick linen fabric named "Garbo's Eye". Apparently, this fabric was created after Cecil Beaton's sketches.

Turban hat made out of "Garbo's Eye", Stephen Jones Spring Summer 2010
Here you can see the Stephen's turban-hat made out of "Garbo's Eye". In addition, you can view his entire Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at www.stephenjonesmillinery.com . Imagine my complete surprise when just a week after my return to New York, I was contacted by no other than showroom director at Beaton's Fabrics, sir Andrew Ginger.

Andrew's e-mail came just in time. I just finished finalizing sketches of my third Collection and started the most difficult process of fabric selection for the hats I had in mind. Fabric selection is always very strenuous and almost mind exhausted experience for me. I take to consideration every single small detail: pallet, fabric composition, technical characteristics. The process of selection for me can correlate into hours, days, sometimes weeks of browsing my favorite fabric stores in New York City.

In his e-mail Andrew not only (I admit shamelessly and with great pleasure :-) ) spoke highly of my designs, but also suggested to send me the entire collection of Beaton's fabric swatches. The level of my excitement was simply immeasurable. I was anxiously waiting for my package although I did have an itsy bitsy shred of doubt. There were numerous occasions in the past when I was dreadfully disappointed by the fabrics which looked perfect on the pictures but in person lacked quality and color. The fact that I saw and touched magnificent "Garbo's Eye" made me believe that the rest of the fabrics should be just as beautiful.

When the package arrived a week later I was besides myself. If I could describe my feeling with a touch of theatrical note, I would say "I have died and gone to Heaven" :-). Every single fabric of Beaton's Collection was perfection itself. I was especially mesmerized by the quality of silks and cotton (and I very rarely use cotton in my designs). And this brilliant colors! They simply took my breath away. Not only that it was possible to use this fabrics for designs, but it was also suggested to use them for the creation of fabulous interiors. The same prints were available in wallpaper. I immediately started to dream of redecorating my Atelier. Can you blame me ? :-)For the obvious reasons I will not be telling you today about my selection of Beaton's fabrics. I promise to post my new designs when my new Collection will premier. This time the divine inspiration came unexpectedly from Great Britain and through decades of time in the form of fabulous Beaton fabrics. :-) I can not help but being hopelessly in love with beauty that lives beyond time.

http://www.cecilbeatonfabrics.com/

Cecil Beaton photography

Cecil Beaton

Making Hats For Comme Des Garcons Spring-Summer 2010. London Part 3

In continuation of the description of my adventures in London this past Fall I would like to tell you about my work on hats for Comme Des Garcons Spring Summer 2010 Collection. I would have to say that this task was one of the most interesting by far. Rei Kawakubo of Comme Des Garcons is held in such an admiration and regard as fashion's leading conceptualist and individualist. She is also known known as a woman of few words. So, we were not surprised at all when her request to us was something like this:" I would like you to use materials you would never think of using for hats. Oh, yes...and if you could make it in such a way that just to look at a hat like this would make you sick, that would be fantastic"

Mr. Jones, of course, had few tricks up his sleeve and did not hesitate a second with suggestions (blew my roof off!) of use of the most unexpected materials you could imagine. Since Rei Kawakubo did not have a slightest idea of what exactly she envisions in terms of hats for her Collection, we decided to create several options thinking that this way Rei would have a choice. Well, we tryed our best to create "sick" hats.:-) A vinyl disc was melted under high temperatures and shaped into hat. Then the 2 liter plastic bottle was melted using the same technique to create the illusion of water draping around the face.

This "plasticmelting" technique was one of the most interesting discoveries I have made while working in Mr. Jones Atelier. Who knew that the result can be so spectacular!? This technique is also very difficult to master since the material (plastic or vinyl) has to be "styled" into hat under extremely high temperatures.We got so carried away that created few more hats (they were not included in the show) out of plastic cups, post office packing materials and cotton balls.We topped ourselves: the hats were to sick even for Rei.:-)))). The ones that at the end were chosen for the Collection were made out of billion make-up pads. We emptied every "Boots" store with in the 10 mile radius of the Atelier to get the necessary amount of make-up pads. :-)

Comme Des Garcons is one of my favorite brands and I was thrilled to be able to make hats for their Spring Summer 2010 Collection. My dear friend Marc once told me that the true lady can make three things out of nothing at all : a salad, a scandal and a hat. I remember objecting to the last part of this statement knowing all too well how difficult it is to create a beautiful hat. Well, I take my words back. Mr. Jones taught me that, apparently, it is more than possible to create hat out of nothing. Well...almost nothing.:-)

Comme Des Garcons Spring-Summer 2010, Paris

Farewell To The Glorious 2009! (And One Very Special Interview)

I have received this gorgeous drawing back in August of this year and would like to, once again, say THANK YOU to the wonderful and so very talented artist Kat of Pencilfashion Blog who made this drawing for my Atelier. Don't you just love this fabulous hat? Kat, you are an inspiration and I am so thrilled to have you as a friend...As 2009 is almost over I felt that proper farewell is in order. It was a wonderful, glorious year and it was very generous to me: I have launched my second Collection "Russia Divine.Tribute.", I have been invited to work with one of the legendary names in the industry- Stephen Jones (Hats So Much, Steven :-) ) and was lucky to have an opportunity to make hats for the Collections of Jason Wu, Donna Karan, Kinder Aggugini, Comme Des Garcons and John Galliano. I have been blessed with loving, supportive family who kept me going through the months of often very demanding schedule in London. I have also started this Blog and came to know and become friends with so many talented and extraordinary people :-). I wish to all of you peace and prosperity, love and happiness in the New 2010! I have a feeling it is going to be a magical year! :-)

2009 was also a milestone for me. It marked 10 years since I left Russia in search of a better life and American Dream just like thousands of immigrants before me. 10 years since I had to start my life all over again. I have found more than I ever hoped for. Since the launch of my debut Collection "Je Ne Regrette Rien" in 2008, I had a privilege of giving several interviews to various publications, as well as making hats for several fashion editorials (more details later). One of the most special interviews for me was the interview for my home town magazine "Where Minsk" which was published in September issue.

I know many of you do not speak Russian and will not be able to read it, but I thought I would post it anyway. It seems like a great way to put a period mark to the decade full of struggles and victories, the decade that change me in so many ways and gave me so much! It felt GREAT! 10 years later to give an interview to the magazine in the city I grew up, loved and had to leave. It felt great to be back. :-)

It made my Mom so very proud! :-) I would like to say thank you to the journalist Victoria Naymova who worked with me on this interview for being so diligent, professional and understanding...Happy New Year to all! Until next year everybody!:-)

Front Cover of the "Where Minsk" magazine, Spetember 2009.

Back Cover of the "Where Minsk" magazine, September 2009.

Merry Christmas To All! And The Winner Of My Spectacular Christmas Give Away Is ....

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys." ~Charles Dickens.

I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! Hope your Holiday Season is filled with magic and joy. I am also very excited to announce that the winner of my Spectacular Christmas Give Away is amazing The Gossamer Tearoom . Congratulations, darling Betty. Please, contact me with your shipping address at info@anyacaliendo.com .:-)

Making Hats For Donna Karan And Kinder Aggugini Spring-Summer 2010. London Part 2.

One of my most favorite projects this Fall was working on fantastically funky, huge, almost grotesque hats for Kinder Aggugini Spring-Summer 2010. Kinder Aggugini is a 42-year old Italian and a graduate of the Central Saint Martin's , based in London. He is regarded as the "international man of mystery" and was often called the "ghost" designer that is until his fist Collection premiered last Season. The reason is - Kinder Aggugini has been a creative force behind the scenes at major labels including Versace and Vivienne Westwood, not to mention the fact that Kinder is a former apprentice to John Galliano.

I loved the fact that Aggugini based this collection on the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales and motives of "Alice in Wonderland". When I first saw the sketches(done by Mr.Jones) of what he had in mind for Kinder's Collection, I admit, I got a little bit scared. Number one rule when it comes to any design - the proportions are everything. Clearly, any mistake with the size of the hats in this case was not an option due to the volume of fabric used for each hat and, of course, time concerns. Fabrics for the hats ware created on the spot in Mr. Jones Atelier. Then, the mock-up of the single hat was created for the first fitting to make sure that this is exactly what Kinder Aggugini had envisioned for his Collection.

It always amazes me how much construction, calculations and mechanical thought goes into creating spectacular hat. It was exactly the case with hats for Kinder Aggugini: we had to make sure that models would not drawn in this hats, that the hats are not too heavy, that the fabric would not collapse and would properly hold the shape. It was not an easy production, I got millions of pins under my nails, but once Collection premiered on September 19Th in London it totally rocked the runway. I absolutely fell in love with Kinder's Collection. I should, probably, mention that I have a weak spot for Chantilly lace and polka dots! Bravo to Kinder!:-)

As you may know by now, Donna Karan's Spring-Summer 2010 Collection was included in the list of Top 10 best Collections presented internationally for the Spring-Summer 2010 Season. I was, personally, very excited to have this great chance to work on hats for Donna Karan. I always thought of her Collections to be very "wearable chic".

When the fabrics for hats sent from New York arrived, I knew, that this is going to be a very special Collection: pearl greys and creams, very airy and light, I practically could not wait to see what Mr.Jones would come up with for Donna Karan. When the sketches were in, it became apparent that we are creating hats "spirited away", as I called them.The idea was to create an effect of wind blown hat as if the model wearing it had just encountered a stiff breeze on the runway.

There was no traditional blocking for this hats, instead, precisly calculated and measured wire structures went in place. Afterwards, the fabric was carefully draped over each wire structure. Draping is always very time consuming process. There is no such thing as an unimportant fold or pleat - everything has to be done just right.

Unfortunately, despite great reviews for the Collection itself, Mr.Jones hat designs didn't get good reviews from American editors. For example, Style.com review by Nicole Phelps stated that "...those Stephen Jones hats looked like deflated clouds..." . Well, Ms. Phelps, I respectfully disagree. I enjoyed every bit of working on this beautiful hats :-)))) Will never be able to fully describe how great it feels to see fantastic end result after many hours of hard work.

Donna Karan Spring-Summer 2010

Donna Karan Spring-Summer 2010, New York

Donna Karan Spring-Summer 2010, New York