The Hatparade!

For the second year in a row hatmaker and sex-inspirer Marika Smith invited everyone in the possession of a hat to join the Hatparade!

We've had a really cold and grey summer this year in Sweden. But on this day - which also happened to be my birthday - the sun was shining, and it was warm and nice!

We all gathered outside the beautiful Hallwyl Museum. It was great to see people of all ages and styles had come to join in the parade.

Then we all paraded towards Djurgården (The Royal Game Park), where we sat down in the grass for a picninc.

It was a lovely day, and the perfect way to celebrate my birthday. Already looking forward to next year's Hatparade!





All photos (except for the top one) by Marika Smith.

Fröken Frimans Krig Part 2

Last year I was an extra three times in the costume drama series Fröken Frimans Krig (Miss Friman's War). It is shot by Swedish Television (SVT) and takes place in the beginning of the 1900s. The show got so popular that they decided to make more episodes, and so they called and asked if I wanted to come back. As this meant I had a new opportunity to spend a few days walking around in beautiful old clothes, of course I said yes! I blogged about this series last time we shot it, and if you're interested in seeing what I wore then, you can read about it here, and here.

This time I got a new outfit, and just walking into the big rooms where SVT has all the clothes for this series is amazing! Above is a rack full of pretty hats for the ladies.

My shoes fit me perfectly, but takes ages lacing up! No use putting on those if you're late for the buss and quickly need to get going...

And here is my whole costume - which also fit me like a glove!

Compared to last year, when I was one of many extras on set, this day we were only two, doing one scene each. Girl number two was Sandra, who was dressed in a pretty bluish grey outfit.

Of course I had to be naughty and show off my petticoat... Here I am outside "my" house, in which I got to do my scene against the two lead characters of the drama, played by Sissela Kyle and Sofia Ledarp. It was fun - as an extra - to get to do something else than just walk past the camera in the background.

Since I was doing my scene inside, my hat and gloves were taken off. But with no gloves hiding my not so early 1900s-like hand tattoos, they had to be covered up with make up. It felt a bit weird seeing my hands with no tattoos...

Even though I loved my hat...

...taking it off made my pretty hairdo visible. As I both got help getting dressed and putting up my hair I feel I could very easily get used to living like a lady in the early 20th century. Haha!

Photo: Anette Westerlund (except for the two top ones, which I took myself).

Hat Parade

I think it was very unnecessary that hats pretty much disappeared from fashion after the 60s. But back in the good old - stylish - days, women would walk down the streets with the sole purpose of showing off their new spring/fall hats. So when The Hallwyl House let people who wore a hat get in to see their exhibition Hats Off for free, on the last day of the show, milliner Marika Smith got the idea to gather the visitors and create an old fashioned hat parade from the museum to Djurgården (The Royal Game Park), where we ended our parade with a picnic.

I wore a vintage felt hat from the 40s together with my outfit from Dalena Vintage, that I wrote about here!

The hat exhibition was fun to see. But they should have accompanied the hats with photos of people actually wearing them. These head-decorations can look so different on a head, from what they look sitting on an exhibition stick!

When leaving The Hallwyl House, we were quite a few hat-wearers that paraded away through the streets of Stockholm, meeting many smiling onlookers on our stroll.

The weather was perfect for a picnic! Not cold, but not too hot either.

The organizer, Marika, wore one of her own creations on her head...

...And she had also baked heavenly vanilla buns for everyone!

This was my first picnic for this summer, but I hope for many more!

Stage Fright

My best friend - and landlady - Fanny started a project she calls Stage Fright a few months ago. As she loves the sparkling world of burlesque, but actually have stage fright, she decided to put part of herself on stage by sewing costumes for other burlesque dancers instead. And so her project began... Fanny has a degree in Fashion Design and is very talented at coming up with ideas for incredible costumes! As we both know many burlesque dancers, she quickly got a full sewing-schedule, as many of them wanted costumes created by her. These last few months the apartment has looked like burlesque heaven, with sequins, pearls and feathers flying around everywhere! Here are some of her amazing creations, designed, sewn, and meticulously decorated - often by hand - by herself...

Photo: John-Paul Bichard

The Circus Dress for Fräulein Frauke.

Photo: Darklark

Black dress for Elegy Ellem's Bat Night act.

Part of a costume in progress for Contessa Blackbird.

30s inspired New Years Eve dress for Elegy Ellem.

New Years Eve dress for Fräulein Frauke.

Detail of the dress above.

Belly dancing outfit for Yvette Les Fesses.

Harley Quinn dress for Elegy Ellem.

Carmen Miranda hat, modelled by gorgeous Fanny herself!

Hat for me!!! I didn't even ask for this, she just made it anyway!

As you can see, Fanny makes creations that doesn't have to be used on stage too. If you feel like you need a costume, fancy dress, or maybe a hat, you can always contact Fanny on her Facebook page Stage Fright here! 

Zara Carpenter

Today I want to tell you about yet another of my talented friends - Zara Carpenter! I have actually just met her once, but I had heard about her and what she does long before that, through other friends. She and I share the lovely life companion called "pain", but the better days Zara spends creating beautiful things. Mainly hats and hair adornments. She has won several awards for her work, and her creations have been featured in a number of magazines. Here are a few magical hats from her previous collections!

Life, Death & Fertility

Fall 2012

East Meets West

Summer 2012

Day & Night

Summer 2011

My England

Summer 2010

The Time Has Come, The Walrus Said

Fall 2009

Where It All Began

Summer 2009

If you want to adorn your heads with some of Zara's creations, you can always go to her Etsy site, where she sells some of her hats. She also does commissioned work though, so you can always contact her through her website - where you can also see the rest of her amazing hats - and of course, through her Facebook page!