Change your life

Met a man in the market today, the brave kind who shop for a gift for their wives ( we love a man who gives feathers). His kindness and humility radiated off of him and he was happy to admit he needed a ladies opinion before choosing the right piece for his wife. We talked feathers and together we found the right piece. As I packaged the piece I asked him about his visit. 

He was in town for the Rock and Roll marathon, he had run the race. He was  a middle aged man of average height and weight but without the obvious look of an athlete. He told me about how hard the race was, how long he had trained and how it was his first marathon. His wife had planned to run but she had gotten sick and couldn't make it. He came to New Orleans to run a marathon, and he had come alone. These obstacles were enough to hold anyone back, but he said he had to run this race. With the ease of speaking to an old friend, He told me that he had reached a weight of 300 pounds and needed to drastically change his life. He began working at running shoe store and started on the path that brought him to New Orleans to run his first marathon. I could clearly see how his kind of dedication and comittment changed his body. Without an ounce of braggard in him he shared how he had completely changed the course of his life by his own willpower. Needless to say I was inspired and reminded of the power of the human spirit. So I felt I should share his story.

Keep running the race.

Get Ready Austin, we are coming for you!!!

 Hey Austin! We are coming for you!

We will be attending this years Pecan Street Festival, our first time ever selling in Austin. We are so excited to bring our handmade wares to a city that we love. Austin is a place close to our hearts, with such a solid support systems for all things handmade and DIY. We can't wait to share our work with you! If you have never seen us before in New Orleans or at other festivals across the country than we must get acquainted. We make feathered and leather goods focusing mainly on headwear. Here is a peek at some of our work. We are a sister team based out of New Orleans by way of Los Angeles. Abigail honed her art experience at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and created Bedford Falls Headwear in 2009. In 2010, Abigail and her sister Glori, the co-conspirator, moved our business to the feather loving and festive town of New Orleans. We fit right in among the revelers and artist of this great city. From New Orleans we make a habit of taking off and visiting other cities sharing our art. We are happy to check Austin off our list this September!

Here is a link to our website:
http://www.bedfordfallsheadwear.com/

For more information about the Pecan Street Festival visit...
 http://www.oldpecanstreetfestival.com/

If you are not in Austin, you can find us in New Orleans, updating our location on a daily basis from our facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/bedfordfallsheadwear

We will also be taking our show to Shreveport for this years Red River Revel, a show we love.
http://www.redriverrevel.com/

Own Your "Pretty"

“For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
 For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
 For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
 For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day.
 For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone...."
~Sam Levenson

Our slogan here at Bedford Falls Headwear (as many of you already know from our buttons to our business cards) is "Stay Pretty". We chose this simple saying for many reasons. Of course, the more obvious reason is because we make and sell decorative accessories to, essentially, lead the wearer to feel "pretty" (because you all already are).  However, beyond the feather and frill, we also encourage ladies to "Stay Pretty" in self-awareness and confidence. 

We believe that staying pretty is a battle against a social perception that leads women to ridicule themselves due to physical imperfections. Well, gird up your loins ladies and grab your armor because we are fighting beside you! 

While we know that physical beauty has a place, we also know that true beauty and femininity consists of character traits; traits that not only encompass sensitivity and gentleness but also strength and compassion. Patience and kindness, self control and tolerance. Leadership and influence. These are all our beauties.

If you look at the cover of any fashion or figure magazine, you may not see yourself, however, let us assure you; WE DON'T SEE OURSELVES EITHER, but that is not our measure of beauty. YOU ARE PRETTY, AND WE SEE IT! 

Our fascinators are just a small way to bring out the "pretty" that you already have brought to the table. So when we say "Stay Pretty", what we are really saying is; all that you already have to offer is pretty, believe in it and don't ever loose it! Find and know your "pretty", own your "pretty" and be your "pretty" for the rest of your life....and let us top it all off with a feather ;)

Gatsby Style!

From the upcoming Baz Lurhmanns, The Great Gatsby

                                   

From the 1974 version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow

Fashion Board inspired by The Great Gatsby

A wardrobe que for the fellas.

                            

Yes Please!

We couldn't be more excited about the upcoming release of Baz Lurhmanns remake of the classic 1925 F.Scott Fitzgerald book, The Great Gatsby!!!

We have been watching the news about this film since we first heard about it's conception, now set for a release date of May 10th, 2013. As fans of Fitzgerald's Jazz era writings and Baz Lurhmanns hyper-color, music-video-meets-the-movies cinematic style we can't wait to see what he does with this arsenal of material. We have also loved the Robert Redford (sigh) and Mia Farrow version of the film as it was our personal first look at the film version of Jay Gatsby, the larger than life central figure of the film. This book has been made into film at least 6 times. Nonetheless, the opportunity to refresh this favorite could not be better timed.

What thrills us most is the artistic and cultural effect that we HOPE and PRAY will spread like wildfire when modern audiences gets a full throttle acid trip version of the fashions of this time. The fashion of the 1920s Jazz Age is our absolute main inspiration for many of our works and we think everyone can use a dose of Gatsby style added to their wardrobe.

What we love most is the elegance, revelry, class and care that woman and men took to dress themselves back then. Now-a-days that kind of consideration towards what-to-wear is reserved for the bravest of the brave. In our day to day people watching, we see our culture slumping into a sweat pants and t-shirt society. We feel this film will be a BOOST of inspiration and confidence in taking that extra step to adorn oneself with a wardrobe that reflects the respect and self esteem we have for ourselves. Here at Bedford Falls in response to the film we can't help tailoring our works towards the decadent and care-free headwear of that age. Perhaps in their own creative overflow spawned from watching the film and in order to facilitate this new cultural interest, we hope the fashion industry will be filling the racks with beaded and flowing silk and satin drop waisted treasures and we will be there to snatch them up!!!

 Come May, we hope we will be seeing much more of All That Jazz!!!

You can pull it off...

We spend countless hours watching all the beautiful ladies (shape, age and size) come to our booth and light up when they see their reflection with a plume adorning their heads. For some, it is second nature to embrace the highlighted accessory and take on the spirit of a Hollywood starlight wooing the cameras and crowds. While for others, it takes a little more gumption to keep it on longer than the moment they see it in the mirror. Often times we see a glint of excitement before the fascinator is quickly removed concluding with the statement, "I can't pull it off."
What is it that persuades ladies away from a touch of flair as small as a feather or as bold as a hat? Perhaps it is a result of a casual society that prefers yoga pants to herringbone and flip flops to slingback pumps. A society that needs a reason to "dress up" other than everyday attire. What does she really mean when she says, "pull it off"? Did Joan of Arc pull off her sword and shield; Dorothy her ruby red slippers, and Amelia Earhart her aviator cap?
Perhaps we take a moment to forget about social expectations and suppositions and and wear what moves and empowers us. Does it make you feel pretty? Aside from the looks you get (which are either envious or interested), do you like the way it looks? Because ladies, if you do, you've pulled it off.

French Mararoons!

Creatives must use every channel available to them to create. My most recent channel came in the form of baking French Macaroons. Learning to make these little suckers is just like attempting a new art medium. The challenges, failures and sense of accomplishment are the same. And just like in art, once the technique is mastered creativity can abound. So here are my first attempts, still learning but already feeling very creative. And in this case I can eat my spoiled canvases!

Frenchmen Street Market

Our newest selling location is the Frenchmen Street Market, on it's first weekend! If all goes well this will be a weekly market and we hope to be here! 7pm to midnight! Come support local art!

A few of our recent flock

These new additions will be added to the flock at Our boutique Milk Studio! Come see them for yourself. Stay Pretty!

Bachannal Sunday

One of the best spots in the city. Bacchanal on a Sunday, being serenaded by traditional jazz with a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice watching the sun come down. Surely becoming a favorite spot of mine.

Wedding shoes

Found these amazing stocking for my wedding day. They were a lovely addition to my shooting star Mary Janes.

T.N Thompson Pin Ups

Recently discovered in a restaurant bathroom ( don't ask)  plastered wall to wall with pin-ups, T.N Thompson's sketch pin up girls are down right adorable.

Check Out Vintage Home Grown!

ttp://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagehomegrown

If you have visited our store in New Olreans, you might have see the most beautiful wood necklaces. We wanted to spotlight Vintage Homegrown for their wonderful designs in wood and repurposed materials. Be sure to visit their Etsy shop to see what they have been working on lately. Also, if you are in the Los Angeles area, keep an eye out for their vending events.

Here is a little bit about them in their own words:

"Vintage Homegrown is a design studio that loves to combine all of our ideas, aspirations, passions, and travels. We love to travel as much as we love to create, and while we travel, we collect inspiration... and tree bark! We are constantly inspired from the jobs we hold in the realm of design and decided to finally venture out for ourselves! From there it grew into collecting pieces of trees that we would bring into our home and they would turn into sculptures on our walls. Tree Bark was only the beginning of Vintage Homegrown. We hope you enjoy our work, and stay with us to watch us grow! "

Preparring for Southern Decadence

The circus is coming to town... and we can't wait!

We have been preparing for this years Southern Decadence with parasols and fans in a bright rainbow cascade and fine feathered fascinators. As lovely as they are they are sure to be out shined by the fantastic costumes and drag that will be walking the streets of the French Quarter this weekend. You can find us in the French Market hawking our wares this weekend, or as long as we can stay away from the party. If you can't get to the market you can always find our feathers at Milk Studio on Decatur St. in the French Quarter.
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Amelie G Magazine Feature

http://ameliegmag.com/2011/06/perfect-plumage/

We were featured in this months online edition of Amelie G Magazine, a New Olreans based fashion magazine. Take a look at the beautifully written piece about our fine feathers. Thanks Amelie G!

Bonnaroo!

We were lucky to be apart of this years Bonnaroo in the dusty fields of Manchester, Tennessee. We saw some great bands and nearly sold out of our fascinators. Thanks to all the ladies who paid us a visit. Here are some shots of our booth lit up at night, like a moth to a flame...

Unique LA 2011 Spring Show

Thank you Los Angeles for coming out to Unique LA and supporting independent art in Los Angeles. We just wanted to make a quick mention of a few fantastic vendors we encountered while selling at Unique LA. As always a great show with stunning displays and cutting edge products, but these few vendors really shined to us...

"Oh, Hello Friend"
Fantastic trinkets and treasures with imagination and whimsy, and of course a stunning display. Such a doll. A Los Angeles native and a regular at Unique LA. Check out her blog here...
http://www.ohhellofriendblog.com/

Besame Cosmetics
Vintage lipsticks and cosmetics. The packaging caught my eye, they use a more sophisticated and elegant form of presenting cosmetic prodcuts than anything I have ever seen. The cases reminded me of the lipstick cases I would see on my grandmothers vanity. I have been hunting for a specific shade of red, reminicient of flapper adds and stills so I purchased a red sampler, and voila! I found it! Also a Los Angeles based company. Take a look here...
http://www.besamecosmetics.com/home.cfm

Bedford Falls Headwear in New Orleans

We made the move out this winter and we are settling in just fine down here in the Big Easy. We love the culture of the city and the celebratory feeling in the air. Perfect for a fascinator. Our studio is in full swing and we are producing over 120 fascinators a week. We debut most of our flock on a daily basis at the Historic French Market. Gearing up for Mardi Gras as we speak... Here is a peak at our complementery Mardi Gras button we had made as a token during this grand season! If you end up down this way please pay us a visit! We post our selling locations daily on our facebook and now on our blog!

Bedford Falls Headwear: One year old!!!

A year ago today an idea crept in, took hold and redecorated. Taking all the beige off the walls and replacing it with crimson and chartreuse. This little company is one year old. Built with many hands, bleeding and stained with paint. But full of love and feathers. Lots of feathers. Thank you to all those hands. "It takes much more than just wild courage" t. waits.

Bedford Falls Headwear at LACMA???

Here we are at the LACMA offices showing off our flock. We have been given the great opportunity to sell our fascinators in conjunction with an upcoming show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The show is called Fashioning Fashion, European Dress in Detail 1700-1915. Bedford Falls Headwear will be for sale at the LACMA Store during the run of the show from October 2010 to March 2011. Show opens October 2nd to the public. Take a look...

Fashioning Fashion at LACMA.

Sunset Junction and LACE

Thank you to everyone who paid us a visit at our booth at The Sunset Junction and at LACE in Chinatown. Thanks especially to LACE, Los Angeles Craft Experience, for creating another opportunity for independent artists to gain exposure and sell their work.

Take a look at LACELos Angeles Craft Experience .