Bejeweled Hats and the extravagant work of Louis Mariette

The "Deep Blue Sea" is the name of one of the most expensive hats to be brought to auction. Created by Australian milliner Ann Maree Willett, this very elaborate hat is crafted in hand-blocked felt, embellished with bright feathers and carrying 26 opals weighting around 1,447 carats. The Deep Blue Sea is estimated at between $150.000 and $200.000.
The record for the most expensive hat in the world is currently held by the "Chapeau d'Amour - Hat of Love,"created by designer Louis Mariette. Crafted in woven platinum and studded with diamonds, the hat is valued at $2.7 million.
The auction "The Nature of Opals" will take place at Bonhams&Butterfields in San Francisco on November 10.

Deep Blue Sea

A look at the designer milliner Louis Mariette' exotic world, his extravagant couture hats, bejeweled headpieces and more.... 

Chapeau d'Amour

Source Luxist

Kenzo, the book

In honor of "Paris Fashion Week,"an introduction to Kenzo, the first exhaustive book ever published to present forty years of the Paris-based fashion house, founded by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada and now  revitalized under artistic director Antonio Marras. Established in 1970, Kenzo is one of the great French houses that transformed global fashion in the latter half of the twentieth century.
This lavish volume comes in a real fabric cover, available in three different patterns, and with a pop-up that evokes the romantic textiles, envelopes, and paper craft for which the house's fashion collection are known.
This book is truly an art object in and of itself.

Silk scarf

Some excepts from the book

Autumn Winter 1983 - Ad campaign

Photo: Hans Feurer

Autumn Winter 1985 - Ad campaign

Photo: Peter Lindbergh

Collection S/S 2008 by Antonio Marras

Fall-Winter 2010-2011 Ad Campaign

Photo: Mario Sorrenti

Credit Rizzoli

Kenzo will be released in November 2010.

Room with a view at Palazzina Grassi

A former aristocratic fifteenth-century palazzo on the Grand Canal is the canvas for French designer Philippe Starck's first Italian design hotel. The designer's mark is apparent throughout the hotel: baroque couches, a nod to Fornasetti, multicolored hallways, dripping chandeliers. More dazzling are the 26 white minimalist guest rooms and suites, with their huge mirrors and table lamps decorated with venetian masks. The Palazzina Grassi is a showplace with its superb collection of flamboyant glass sculptures and lamps by Murano artist Aristide Najean, its unique artworks and antique pieces.

Courtesy Palazzina Grassi

Aldo Lanzini's Knitted Tribal Masks

Aldo Lanzini is the artist who designed these amazing knitted masks for Angela Missoni at her fashion show on Sunday, September 26th, in Milan. At the entrance of the Missoni show, a group of individuals were wearing crocheted masks from Aldo's series "The eyes are there where they see, the things are there where they are seen."
Aldo Lanzini has had several solo exhibitions in various art galleries and museums, the Today Art Museum in Beijing among them. His latest show "The Drop," is currently on view at Le Case D'Arte in Milan.

At the entrance of Missoni

Images at the Missoni show, courtesy Another Magazine

Series of Masks from Lanzini's portofolio

Images courtesy of Aldo Lanzini

Falcon, Falcon Hoods and Falconers

For this year Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition ( Adihex ), the Italian Jewelry house Tiroler Goldschmied is launching a collection of 5 unique diamond studded falcon hoods. Used for the purpose of calming the birds, these luxury pieces are made of thin leather and precious stones, and range from $6,500 to $53,000, depending on the number of diamonds used and time spent to craft them. The Italian Jewelry house is betting that at least a few falconers at the exhibition will be interested in decking their birds out in custom made diamond hoods .....

Source luxurylaunches