Wednesday, April 22, 2015

PEAKY BLINDERS CAPS

If Downton Abby portrayed the creme de la creme of British Society, than PEAKY BLINDERS portrays the underbelly of post WW1 Britain. The Peaky Blinders BBC TV series is centered around the fictional SHELBY family of Aunt Polly, Tommy, Arthur, John and their sister Ada. It is a little like Boardwalk Empire but much grittier.  Set in the early 1900's Birmingham, it is based on a true life criminal gang of the era. The gang members were know by their style of donkey jackets, cravats, bell bottomed trousers and flat caps, into which they sewed razor blades. The razor-bladed-caps were deadly weapons for street fights.
 The PEAKY BLINDERS gang got its name from the flat caps and sectional caps they wore. "Peaky" was a popular nickname for flat and section caps with peaks. If Downton Abby brought us ladies cloches, the Peaky Blinders bring us Ivy caps and newsboy style of working class lads.
This is what the original gang members look like.
The original peaky Blinders circa 1900

The main show cast members are














Cillian (pronounced Killian) Murphy, of Batman fame, plays the main character Tommy Shelby. Cillian hails from my home town of Cork City, Ireland.

Tommy Shelby looking swag in an 8/4 sectional cap

Tommy center with brothers John (Joe Cole) left and Arthur (Paul Anderson) right

If you want to buy caps with peaky blinders swag, try the following STETSON styles at
www.jjhatcenter.com


STETSON STYLE STW213

STETSON STYLE STW88-OLIVE

or try
www.hardfordyork.com

DPC STYLE 202W

DPC MW204

DPC MW236
Please note these caps do not come with sewn in razor blades and we strongly suggest that you do not sew them in yourselves.
PEAKY BLINDER WITH A NOT SO CONCEALED RAZOR IN THE PEAK


The Freddy Thorne character, played by the mansome Iddo Goldberg, is Tommy's BFF from the pre WW1 days, but they have drifted apart due to Freddy's communist leanings. There is a forced detente between the lads when Freddy knocks Ada up.

Freddy and Ada try to elope

Freddy certainly knows how to "pull" a fedora off. It's no wonder Ada picked him over the family business. For a look a like fedora try SCALA classico style WF502
SCALA, BOUND EDGE FEDORA, WF502-GREY
www.hardfordyork.com

Sam Neil, as Inspector Chester Campbell , a dangerous unionist tug from Belfast, sent to "clean" Birmingham up, is a nasty piece of work with the law on his side. He makes Tommy Shelby look like Robin Hood. He wears a signature British bowler as a sign of his gentlemanliness.


A scala classico bowler style WF506-BLK.

SCALA BOWLER WF506
The main female characters are Helen McCrory as Aunt Polly and Annabelle Wallis as Grace Burgess.


GRACE




AUNT POLLY



Aunt Polly is tough as nails and has raised the family since their father abandoned them as kids.
Grace is an undercover spy, working as bar maid, for Inspector Campbell. Tommy and her fall in love. She regrets spying on Tommy but it is too late as Inspector Campbell is a spurned jealous lover. He has a bullet with her name on it.
GRACE DRESSED UP FOR THE CHELTENHAM RACES
CALLANAN MILLINERY hats that would work for the ladies.

CM175 would be perfect for Grace to wear to Cheltenham
For day-to-day use, going back and forth to the "office" these wold work.
heathered mix felt style LV348

large brim cloche style LV345
The HALLOWEEN ADVENTURE store, 808 BROADWAY and the sister  GOTH STORE, 104 4TH AVENUE in NYC are  great stores for quality period headwear.
They carry Callanan and scala hats.
www.newyorkcostumes.com


Monday, April 20, 2015

CALLANAN - VOGUE PARIS

Fashion can be a fickle bed fellow. You think it's hot, she thinks you're not. You move on and then she comes back to love you.
In 2012, I designed a knit cadet under the Callanan Legacy label, which I though was a winner. WELL,  IT WASN'T!! We finally sold it off at a loss in the winter of 2014.
So what a nice surprise I had, while flipping through the March 2015 issue of VOGUE PARIS. There was my unloved baby, style LM310-ASST, in all its beauty. 


CALLANAN legacy knit cadet style LM310-ASST

BABY'S LOOKING GOOD
The stylist added the earring trim, which is actually a great way to 'bling" up any knit head wear or sweater in your closet. It also goes to show that personal style is more important then "trends".

In the same issue they had other hats from Dorfman Pacific Hat Company.

AUTHENTIC GREEK FISHERMAN STYLE AEG100
Dorfman Pacific hat company has the licence for the authentic "AEGEAN" FISHER CAP.
For retail sales go to
www.hartfordyork.com

TRY WEARING 2 HATS FOR A FRESH LOOK

DPC OUTDOORS STYLE MC68
Boys will be girls and girls will be boys. Our DPC men's outdoor labels has everyone covered.
Available at www.hartfordyork.com



CAPPELLI STRAWORLD, the last straw

As the songs goes, "It's an end of the world as we know it". At the very least, it is the end of CAPPELLI STRAWORLD ( a division of Dorfman Pacific Hat Company) www.dorfman-pacific.com as we know it. Bonnie Rubel, who took over the company's reins from her father many moons ago, who in turn had taken them over from Bonnie's mother and grandmother, is retiring. Her replacement is Lucy Sanchinelli, who has a long history of designing handbags.
The spring/summer 2016 collection, which she finished last week with the help of her twin sister Nicole, will be her grand finally to the fashion world.
Nicole center and Bonnie on the right

 For those who think that design is all glamor, here is a reality check. The factories are freezing and we dress for warmth. We had both lunch and dinner at the factory for a number of days.

Bonnie with vintage CAPPELLI bag designs hanging in the background

Bonnie with Mr. Sun with who has produced CAPPELLI designs for over 20 years.

Bonnie invited me to help merchandise her s16 COLLECTION, so I spent the past week with her and Nicole, it was a great experience. They truly are an amazing duo. Their attention to detail, their reworking of every bead, every color strand, until the bag was 'right', either design wise or cost wise. Yes, it was draining and exhausting, but it was an honor to be part of their last hooray!
In a world where so many collections are rehashed, reinterpreted or plain knock-offs, CAPPELLI STRAWORLD always endeavored to be original and different.

The sample maker crocheting a new s16 sample

Nicole left and Bonnie right choosing each bead for a new handle.

The beginning of an original CAPPELLI handbag


Bonnie, wearing a knit beanie for warmth, and her back up team

Nicole, the artist behind the brand and myself
Another shocker was the reaction of the Chinese at Bonnie's departure. The Chinese, who tend to be poker faced, were crushed at her final departure. From factory owners to samples makers, there was not a dry eye in the house.
Sadly, I doubt if any factory will give a" rats ass" when our times comes to say adieu.
I kind of wish that I had had the opportunity to work closer with Bonnie the past 6 years.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

CHANELS WARM AND FUZZY HATS FOR S15

Karl Lagerfeld went all warm and fuzzy for the Chanel S15 Couture collection. It was so much fun to see such novel knit hats used on the runway. These pull on creations will keep you warm all through fall 15.



Love the netting and wispy feathers.


Love the ombre and wispy feathers.






Perfect as an Easter bonnet in colder climates.




Crazy wonderful

Love the loose cobweb crochet


Don't mess with me HATITUDE!