Fascinators are very much in vogue, LadyM Presents has previously featured fascinator designer 2adorn and there has been great interest in this area of the fashion industry of late. Following on from the popular vintage trend that was seen on this seasons catwalks, the fantastic design company Dolly Daydream emulates the vintage style in a collection of exciting headpieces and accessories.

Dolly Daydream

Jessica Read is the designer behind the Dolly Daydream brand, discovered during a trip to Greenwich market, London. Jessica’s main inspirations come from the stunning pieces of jewellery that she has found at markets and vintage shops, also “I get pieces donated to me by family and friends, knowing their old jewellery is going to a good home and being recycled!”.  Jessica’s hunger to be creative led to the company being formed. With a background in Interior Design, Jessica craved to be hands-on with a project and create beautiful things. Still balancing working three days a week as an interiors designer, Jessica’s working day “usually starts with a large Latte to get my brain in gear.  I then just surround myself with the hundreds of pieces of jewellery and thousands of feathers I have collected and the fun begins!”.

The Collection

Fascinators can be a colourful, bold fashion statement, or they can be smaller, more subtle shimmering pieces. Dolly Daydream handcrafts each piece using iridescent feathers, dazzling ribbons, headbands, shining elastics and vintage buttons. Many of the pieces in the collection are available using different coloured headbands. Some of the pieces use stunning brooches found in vintage shops and team pearl beads with contrasting feathers to create really eye-catching pieces.

Isla Hairclip & Vara Headband, by Dolly Daydream

Dolly Daydream also have a bridalwear section of the collection. Each bridal piece is totally unique and will never be repeated. They are made using vintage jewellery and beads, all sourced from vintage markets in London.

Alia & Grace Bridalwear, by Dolly Daydream

Inspiration

Jessica seeks inspiration for her designs from many different places.  She explains, “It may be from the feathers I’m using – some of the detail and colourings in feather are incredible.  It can also come from a single earring or pendant that I come across and I can visualise exactly what I want to team it with and how the final piece will look once complete”.  Of course another huge source of inspiration for Dolly Daydream are fashion and current trends. At the same time the collection is also heavily inspired by 1940′s fashion and style which Jessica finds ‘just stunning and so elegant’.

Yasmin Feather and Lily Brooch Fascinators, by Dolly Daydream

Creation

Jessica explained that the creative process around the collection can sometimes be a challenging one. “As with all creative subjects, you have productive days and not-so-productive days.  Some days i can sit down and everything runs smoothly and fits perfectly.  On the other hand, the next day i could sit and play around with different arrangements for hours”. A headband can take anything from an hour to a whole day to complete. Jessica explains that on a bad day, “I just walk away from the ‘production’ process and go for a walk or research new ideas and come back to it with fresh eyes.”

Conclusion

Dolly Daydream’s goals for 2010 are to “expand my trade at markets all over the country and increase online sales through my website www.dollydaydreamdesign.com and of course, to continue to develop new collections of hairband and headdresses and also a range of hats.” Jessica added “I would love one day to be recognised as a ‘brand’ and supply to ‘fashion forward’ stores such as Topshop, Urban Outfitters and ASOS.”

Dolly Daydream creates completely unique fascinators that will make heads turn. Complete your outfit with a beautiful and exquisite fascinator, suitable for any occasion.