Meeting Majella: BSSTW Travels to Ireland to Unearth More Divine Millinery Crevations

I’ve deemed hats and headware the most relevant current fashion trend right now, and if you follow my work you know that I have always been mad for hats. I’m also a fan of faux hair and wigs, and as part of my “Hats Heard Round the World” Project, I am featuring milliners from all over the globe who have thrown in their hats for this exciting challenge, plus today were are including tips on how to incorporate synthetic hairpieces and faux buns into the mix.

Last time, we visited Italy to see the beautiful work of Steven’s Hats and I included some makeup styling tips, but now we jaunt over to the U.K. to chat with Galway, Ireland’s very own Majella Lennon Dalton, and in the spirit of Ireland we have two Shannons to model her delightful wares, and both are wearing synthetic hairpieces with the hats we’re modeling!

Ireland boasts a bounty of talented milliners, but Majella’s offerings are quite dramatic and eye-catching, and just in time for the races we are going to examine her unique crevations. “Crevations” is a hybrid word that Majella coined from Creativity and Innovation, and that’s where you can find her on www.facebook.com/CrevationDesigns. Check out her designs, inspired by the millinery fashions of the 1920s through the 1960s, which are available for rental as well as purchase. This is a great idea if you want to look particularly fetching but don’t want to invest big bucks in a piece that you may only wear once or twice.

Above, Shannon #1 (that’s me!) models a piece by Majella in this shot by the talented Austin Heppler at Meets the Eye Studios in The LightGrid of San Carlos, California. There’s something very mysterious about this hat; the way it covers half the face is so dramatic, flattering and memorable. Makeup artist Lauren Warner chose to do a smoldering eye and a classic red lip. And although you cannot see it in this photo, she also attached a synthetic bun to the nape so that the hair looks as beautifully appropriate as does the hat!

I love Majella’s penchant for drama, and in the top shot you see exactly what I mean. Scale is exaggerated, the silhouette is so flattering, and this saturated rouge saucer of a hat is embellished with more than one giant rose, both on top and, as a beautiful surprise, in the underbelly. I really appreciate how this hat looks ravishing from all angles due to the flourish of flowers. Majella contemplates how her client is going to look from every side, and that’s a sign of a truly great designer.

Majella has an engineering degree from the National University of Ireland Galway and coming from that background, she loves to mix materials and textures–from silks to feathers to thermoplastics. And the trademark of Majella on this stately crown is the thermoplastic ribbon, here in gold, which has become a bit of a signature in her pieces.

“I was aware of thermoplastic through my engineering work but rediscovered their use in millinery during a course with Carole Maher from Sydney, Australia,” Majella stated. Most milliners use the thermoplastic to cover the hat base or shape “but I prefer to use it structurally,” she said. “I just love the freedom and individuality of each design.”

Above, Shannon #2, actress and model Shannon Rebekah, steps in to model another piece by Majella. This hat is perfectly on-trend for the races or a summer wedding or fete, and looks great with black, white or a combination of the two. I love how fresh and frankly feminine this creation is. What a head-turning hat! This hat looks gorgeous from all angles, as a true couture hat should.

Makeup artist Miles Berdache Lynk attached a faux ponytail to Shannon’s hair at the nape of her neck and wrapped it into an elegant chignon. This gives Shannon the length and volume that cannot be achieved with ordinary hair, unless of course you are seriously endowed with a massive mane, in which case, we all hate you! Jajaja!

Remember that you should never let your hair go unattended just because it is mostly covered by a beautiful hat. In fact, the hat will demand that you take the extra time to style your hair so that you look couture, not crazy. There’s something about an unstyled coif that is particularly out of place and inappropriate with a hat, and these clip-on pieces you can find at any local wig shop for as cheap as $10 to $20, or online from voguewigs.com and other sources. They make your entire ensemble look classier and more elegant, more polished, and at such low cost and ease of use. Every girl should have a wardrobe of these things! They ensure that you will look as beautiful coming as you do going.

Thanks Majella, for your stunning wares…..And G’day Galway!