Showing posts with label hats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hats. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

What to wear to Dressage? Or Traffic Court?

Diamond Tooth has you covered.



The Cher:
 Platforms aren't giving you enough height? Fret not, this piece will add a solid 6" to your statuesque figure while framing your face in luxurious iridescent turkey feathers. Made from the saddle part of a wild turkey, fanned out over hand-made buckram band frame, and embellished with vintage studded jewelry and chains.



Death on Two Legs:

For the woman (or enterprising gent) who wishes to never be forgotten. Dress to kill in this vintage buckram frame hat with a taxidermy wild turkey wing swooped around and hugging the head. No nonsense, just outrageous. The spotlight is on you and you alone. 



 The Lydia:
 Thin out the herd of simpletons on a daily basis with a piece like this- only the bravest of hearts will dare approach. Ideal for the young woman who already knows not to suffer any fools.
A taxidermy rooster head swirls into a nestled coil with a horsehair cushion on its underside. He holds a giant pearl in his beak for eternity. The entire piece is anchored to a steel headband, rendering it quite sensible for the young lady on the go, be it cycling, dancing, or levitating with the ghosts of deceased football players.








The Jane:
 The Jane is for a quiet, practical sort of gal who can hop off her cruiser bicycle to deliver a breached calf or present a thesis on the benefits of counter-transference and disclosure in the therapy hour with the same relative amount of ease. She's not a show off, look at me type (not that there is a SINGLE thing wrong with that), she's more of the silent but deadly type. The kind you definitely want on your side.
A taxidermy chicken wing wraps the head of an antique felt cap, embellished with vintage lace detail.






 The Margaret:
 The Margaret is for the reserved but stylish woman; ideal for strolling through an apple orchard to pick apples or simply survey her domain.
The base of this piece is an altered antique velvet cap; a chicken tail & hide pieces frame the front. Embellished with vintage buttons, the amount of provenance in this piece is palpable.




 A Simple and easy to wear piece with maximum impact. A disc of premium, lush iridescent turkey feathers stands straight up, anchored by a steel head band. Sits slightly cocked to one side for asymmetrical hair styling options. Ideal for adding height without making too much of a splash.


Night on The Concorde:
Channel your inner classy and carefree airline attendant with this jaunty and easily beautiful piece. Take your Coffee, Tea or Me with a dash of modern class in a hat that can compliment long flowing locks, or a formal work-appropriate chignon.
Taxidermy rooster wing mounted onto a felt hat base with a silk fringe tassel and fabric bow detail.












Chicken Wing Mohawk:
Add instant height and intrigue to any ensemble and hair style. Taxidermy chicken wings fold into each-other on a hand made buckram frame which is anchored to a steel headband, making an easy to wear (except on windy days!) piece for any gal (or guy) who intends to stop traffic or command a room.



Fox Tail Earcuff and Rabbit Tail Earcuff
The tip of a fox tail dangles from a chain and attaches to the wearer via a sterling silver ear cuff. Instantly dress up any look for the day with this piece, while simultaneously giving yourself something soft to handle during dull moments.
A no brainer




 





Raccoon Baculum Charm Necklace:

 Dare to wear a Raccoon Baculum (penis bone, Texas Toothpick, etc) and see what good juju comes your way. Women have been known to don one while trying to conceive. Gamblers wrap a baculum in a $10 bill, tuck it in their pocket and head to the track to clean up. They are said to generally attract positive energy and spirits, aside from that they are an elegant and beautiful bone to behold. This one is embellished with a genuine Swarovski Amethyst and several snug brass jump rings. Necklace included.





Halo Rose and Araucana Headpiece:





Fabric roses and Araucana chicken hide nestle together onto an antique buckram halo frame to form this playful and romantic piece. A bit Spring-like in appearance perhaps, but the right lady can work this topper any time of year. It's easy to wear and frames the face is a most flattering way.










The Pearl 2.0:




A second incarnation of the original Pearl hat, this one is a bit more compact and snug against the head, ideal for riding horses or traversing the avenue with your best "don't F with me" face.
Very no nonsense.
Taxidermy rooster wing hugs the curve of the cap and a vintage gem holds up a portion of the brim creating a face flattering swoop. Hat base is vintage felt, Stetson quality.






Possum Tail Necklace:





A taxidermy Possum tail curled into an elegant swoop, and capped off with a steel end hangs from a chain at just the right length to flatter any decolletage. Often reviled as undesirable, creepy rodents, Opossum actually have some their own sort of beauty as demonstrated in this piece.





Rooster & Deer Tail Beret:

Meeting a stranger in a cafe for a clandestine exchange? Here's your hat. Elegant and practical, with an amount of flair that will get you noticed by the right people and deter the rest.
Taxidermy rooster hide woven with dyed deer tail swoop around a vintage brown felt beret, terminating in an antique charm.






Rooster Hide Visor Cap:
Make sexy eyes across the arena at that handsome Terrier breeder during the next American Kennel Club event. Dogs and humans alike will be drawn to you in this vintage altered velvet cap with black visor and rooster hide.


The Harvest Queen:
This piece made its way up to Sharon Springs this year and was an honorary guest at the Harvest Festival kicking off an entire 3 days of celebrating all things seasonal, local and organic. Seeing as it's crafted from a taxidermied chicken hide sourced from a farm just down the road in Cobelskill, a repurposed vintage hat base and a handed down magic amber button embellishment sewn on with antique suture thread, The Harvest Queen was a perfect fit. She is full of provenance and positive energy, an asset to any wearer.






The White Witch:
Goes perfect with a glass of champagne and an icy attitude. Altered antique faux fur hat sprouts taxidermy chicken hide and tail from the front top, and is embellished with vintage jewelry. A snug fit, perfect for the Anna Wintour in your life.







Taxidermy Chicken Wing Epaulets:
 I haven't listed these on etsy yet because I'd like to get more shots of them, from the underside explaining method of attachment.  Basically they pin onto the shoulders of whatever the wearer' has on, like a brooch.   If you're in love and don't want to wait, just email me directly at diamondtoothtaxidermist@gmail.com and we'll talk.


Thanks a bajillion to me talented and patient photographer James Coughlin, and the lovely Bell sisters.  Pearl is more than a great model; check out her plethora of other talents here.






Sunday, June 23, 2013

I got your HANDS ON experience right here:


As I've mentioned here before, I'm getting more involved with workshops and group engagement in terms of taxidermy.  What has been a deligthfully solitary craft for me all these years is slowly morphing into a social experience as more people gain interest in this practice.  I've actually just finished my first week of private tutelage with a  talented and creative young man who completed his first pheasant mount from scratch under my watchful eye. 
It's exciting to see how may people want to peek behind the curtain and see what taxidermy is all about.  In Brooklyn, the Morbid Anatomy Library hosts a slew of various workshops and educational events ranging from how to mount your own squirrel to setting up your own beetle diorama.  I can now list my own specialty among the roster: How to create wearable taxidermy.
Here's a full description of the workshop:


Event

Wearable Taxidermy Workshop by Beth Beverly
Date: Saturday, July 27
Time: 12  6:30 PM
Price: $150
RSVP Email: diamondtoothtaxidermist(at)gmail.com
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

Students will be provided with pre-skinned and tanned chicken hide elements (wings, tails, heads, etc) along with millinery hardware and all the glues, threads, chain, and miscellaneous decorative elements to create a one of a kind custom taxidermy headpiece.
Starting with the malleable hide parts, students will be instructed on how to manipulate, fill and and position the feathered sections while anchoring them to the metal hardware using foam mannequin heads (provided) for stability. Millinery accents like netting, crinoline, jewels and metal embellishments can then be added to complete the students' own personal design, finishing off the workshop with instruction on lining the inside and adding a personalized garment tag.
Students will leave with their new wearable piece of fashion taxidermy, along with printed out lesson sheets and sourcing info so that they may employ these new skills for life.



I've already got 6 full birds skinned, tanned and ready to head up to NY next month; I'm using my best and brightest specimen because I truly want to create a dazzling workshop for my students and make sure they take home something truly beautiful.  I even had a Polish Hen ( I rarely get those) but got greedy and decided to keep that one for myself.  Here is a hint at some of the colors/textures I'm offering that aren't Polish hens:




 A nice assortment, and I've still got loads more!  In fact, I'll be going up to the farm to collect some freezer treats from the boys at The Farmer's Husband early next month so who knows what stunning pieces I'll have!

I'm looking forward to this workshop and meeting the folks who are as enthusiastic as me over wearable bio art. I'm also eager to see what other creative minds come up with, left to their own devices.  There's still a few spots left if you are in or near Brooklyn on July 27 and would like your own custom made for you by you piece of wearable taxidermy!  Just email me through my website or go to Brown Paper Tickets to secure your place in class.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Devon Ladies Tea, Twice as Nice!



Last Wednesday was the 2nd annual Ladies Tea at Devon, in which over one hundred finely topped women took shelter from the oppressive sun under the shade of a well decorated tent bursting with endless champagne, tea sammies and mini pastries.  This was following the annual hat competition of which this year I had the honor of being a judge.  To think, just three years ago I was a fresh faced hopeful contestant! 
Here I am, roasting in the stands with Bill Henley, the only man brave enough to sit next to the lady with the fox on her head. 



There were, I believe, 130 contestants- by far the most I've ever seen- and I found picking my favorites to be a bit mind boggling.  Thankfully there were several categories so we didn't have to narrow all the ladies down to 2st second and third.
Here's the lovely Gabrielle, who posted some great photos of the event on the Ladies Tea Facebook page that I reposted here:

I just love her ensemble.  It seems this year more that ever women put forth a notable effort in their entire looks, not just the hats.   
Here we are together.  I went with a fox theme complete with tail necklace.  Seeing as the theme was British "proper toppers" I thought it would be cheeky to reference the ongoing feral fox issue currently plaguing London.  It's no secret that I'm a bit of an outsider on the Devon scene; the wise and gracious ladies of privileged zip codes have embraced me and my ilk, knowing that you cannot keep the artists away from where they wish to roam.  And that we enhance whatever environment we choose to inhabit.


It was also nice to be called "Foxy" throughout the event by complete strangers.  I wouldn't mind that nickname sticking.

Here's our panel of judges.  From left to right:
, 
Patrick Champalou (Cartier), MOI, Carson Kressley, Sheila Connelly,  Brenda Waites Bolling  Alicia Vitarelli (6ABC) and Bill Henley (NBC10).


(Photos from the ever present and always fantastic Susan Scovill)

Here's best in show Tiffany Arey flanked by some dapper dudes.  I met her the first time she ever competed and she was taking home ribbons back then too.  I don't think she's ever left a competition empty-handed; the gal is dripping with class and talent. 
Below you'll see Jen McGowan, the mastermind and graceful ringleader who acts as chairwoman to Ladies Tea.  This was only the second of the annual event and it was tremendous.  It will surely get better every year and I'm eager to watch it grow into a time honored tradition.  And oh look she's wearing one of my Gatsby hats!  That would be The Daisy perched upon her lovely head.

 
 Below is Best in Show Robin Sweet.  I can't seem to find a good photo online of her entire outfit; it was a picnic theme from head to toe- complete with watermelon slice decals on the soles of her shoes!  Carson was smitten with her from the start.

 
Below and to the right is Jaden Rhinehart who won Most Fascinating.  I need to track her down and find out where she sourced that sheer butterfly onesie.


Oh Hello there!  Here's a shot Hughe E Dillon snapped of me taking a sun break and watching the ponies.  I almost forgot what Devon was all about!