Floral headpieces are incredibly fun to dream up and create. My loves for fashion, hat design, and flowers really come together when I make these arrangements. I find the engineering stage of planning most satisfying, as the more complex pieces require all the floral design techniques I’ve gathered over the years to execute. Inspiration comes from many places—from the natural quality of the flowers I have in mind for a piece (Wraparound Floral Fascinator, page 167), from a period in history (Asymmetrical Floral Headdress, page 175), or from a specific fashion house (Dramatic Dome Hat, page 181). Although I’ve made many of these over the years, most were made for my own pleasure—to express my love for floral fashion—or as entries for design contests. I have had a few paid commissions; the most incredible one was an order for many over-the-top Marie Antoinette–style pieces to be worn by models at a fashionista’s eightieth birthday party in Mexico City. This felt like a return on all the years of making these for myself in hopes of attracting such a commission. The following projects show a diverse selection of headpiece styles and techniques. Test, experiment, and combine these ideas to create the one-of-a-kind pieces you crave to see!
