Guest Post: The Milliner

I was recently lucky enough to be invited to Imogen Towers to meet Sophie Cooke, the brains behind vintage-inspired headwear brand, Imogen’s Imagination. I’ve been a fan of Sophie’s work for a long time, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see where all the magic happens, find out more about the business and, of course, get to try on some of her gorgeous pieces. 

From office job to full time milliner…
"I’ve always been creative, and I’ve always loved hats, but I never thought it could become a career. I was working in an office job when I started out making mini-top hats for friends on the Sheffield burlesque scene when I started to realise that I was actually pretty good at it, and that there was a market for handmade headwear. After encouragement from family and friends – and the inspiration of my teacher-turned-jeweller Mum – I set up the label in 2005. Nearly ten years on, I never dreamed I would have come this far. For years I juggled work with running the business, but I recently gave up my job to concentrate on the Imogen's Imagination full time. There's been a lot of hard work involved, but starting the business was the best decision I ever made." 

I don’t pay attention to trends…
"Trends come and go, but my pieces are vintage inspired so they’ll never go out of fashion. I use classic shapes, but keep things interesting through the use of colour, texture and accessories – my little birdies are a big seller!" 

To hat or not to hat…
"There’s no rule that says you have to wear a hat or a fascinator to a wedding, but if you’re the only one who isn’t wearing one, you may feel uncomfortable. My Mum always used to say that hats didn’t suit her, so making her one which she loved for my brother’s wedding was one of my proudest achievements. In fact, lots of women tell me that they don’t suit hats, but I truly believe it’s just that they haven’t found the right one yet. From a small comb or a simple fascinator, through to a bird-cage veil or a wide-brimmed hat, there’s definitely something out there for everyone. Trying them on can be lots of fun."  

A confidence boost…
"When choosing a hat, there are a few things to think about - your face shape, your colouring, your own personal style, the rest of your outfit and the setting at which the hat will be worn. The end result should not only look great, but should raise your confidence levels too. It gives me so much pride to see my clients walk that little bit taller when they try on their chosen design for the first time."

• Try on Imogen’s Imagination’s fabulous creations for yourself at The Hat Stand in the Sheffield Winter Gardens Pop-Up Shop until Friday 30th May. 
• Permanent stockists include All Good Stuff at Butchers Works Sheffield, Bird's Yard Sheffield, Frankly My Deer Sheffield, The Makers Emporium Rotherham, Bella Figura Matlock and UK Milliners Guild Bristol.
• Visit www.imogensimagination.co.uk 

Guest Post: The Vintage Eyewear Guru

Say hello to Lindsay Markovits, my first ever guest on The Beauty Scriptures. Self-confessed eyewear geek, Lindsay is the face and brains behind vintage eyewear brand Lunettes London. I caught up with her recently to find out about the brand, the vintage trend and her own unique sense of style.

 

So first off, tell us about Lunettes London.
 
"I launched Lunettes London four years ago. I had been working on a vintage project in collaboration with my friend Brenda, now owner of cutting edge boutique opticians Eyeworks London. She hooked me up with contacts in the eyewear industry and helped me get started on sourcing products." 

Happy customers at Brick Lane Vintage Market.

"I've always been into vintage style and am a total sunglasses geek so running the company is my dream job. Buying trips can be arduous as I am frequently faced with boxes upon boxes of dusty glasses but there's no feeling quite like that when I unearth a rare vintage Cazal model or a rhinestone encrusted Nina Ricci design."

"I need to ensure I'm at the forefront of trends and street style so that I am able to buy commercially for my customer base. Ultimately I try and include something for everyone in the collection. Prices start at just £15.00 and we offer simple classic styles as well as outlandish statement designer pieces and everything in between."
 

The vintage trend has been around for a while now and only seems to be growing - why do you think that is?

"I can't see vintage ever going out of fashion because each season the collections are influenced by a different era. As time goes on new eras are added to the vintage spectrum. For example in recent years the 90s have become vintage and are a huge influence on current fashion."

Proving big is beautiful.

What are the current/upcoming trends for eyewear?

"Eyewear trends are not as fickle as fashion trends so a style will remain in fashion for a longer period of time. For example the cat eye shape has been on trend for a few years now and is still going strong."

The cat eye trend is here to stay.

"Round 90s sunglasses are my current bestseller and are especially popular with younger fashion forward customers. With the 90s obsession in full swing, oval shapes are becoming more covetable too."

"I have a feeling oversized sunglasses will be making a comeback after American Hustle. Thick rimmed vintage style glasses are always popular and convey timelessness, but on the flip side many high-end optical brands are choosing to experiment with innovative new materials and shapes."

"Other recent and emerging trends include mirrored lenses, white frames, chunky frames and semi-tinted lenses."

What advice do you have for people looking for a new pair of glasses?

"There are so many rules that are supposed to be followed when it comes to choosing a frame - your eyes should be central to the lens, the frames should not protrude outside of the face, square faces should go for rounder shapes and so on... However I feel that this is a very boring way of shopping."

Vintage graduated lens sunglasses.

"These codes can be useful as guidelines, but ultimately your glasses should reflect your personality and complement your overall style. So if your everyday look is 50s rockabilly, then chances are a cat eye frame will work perfectly for you even if they're a theoretical mismatch to your face type."

How would you describe your personal style? 

"I'm shamefully fickle when it comes to fashion and often reflect in horror upon an outfit I wore just weeks ago. I wouldn't say I'm an avid trend follower although I am interested in high fashion. Because of my vintage connections I am lucky enough to be able to constantly recycle my wardrobe at a reasonably low cost." 

Bold yellow aviators and red lips.

"I find it difficult to pin down my personal style but for a while now I've been into chunky shoes, oversized sihouettes, unusual fabrics, print clashing and statement jewellery and sunglasses."
 

Who or what inspires your style?

"Anna Dello Russo is an inspiration for me. She lives and breathes fashion and is fearless in her outfit choices. but I guess I am a bit of a sponge in that I absorb influence from everything. As a rule I always love the Celine, Marni and Prada shows and I admire Japanese and Scandinavian styles of dressing." 

Girlband Major wearning Lunettes London frames.

"I am lucky enough to live in arguably the most fashion forward city in the world so get to see street trends developing first hand, some of which no doubt infiltrate my style."

The Lunettes London vintage eyewear collection can be accessed online at Lunetteslondon.com or visited in person Thursday-Sunday at Brick Lane Vintage Market in East London. They also have concessions across the Uk, details of which can be found on the website.