Friday, July 9, 2010

Meet the Artist: Bennett Millinery

This month I'd like to introduce you to incredibly talented Kelly of Bennett Millinery on Etsy. I was lucky to meet her on my visit to the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles! I interviewed Kelly and learned more about her background and inspiration for her line of fancy dress hats, whimsies, and pins:


Tell us a little about yourself, and please tell us a bit about your fabulous job at the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles! 

I grew up in a town called Waukegan, which is just outside of Chicago, IL. We were a science-fiction and dress-up family with closets full of home made costumes and I don't think I ever outgrew that. My mother taught me to sew early on, but I didn't take it to heart until later. By the time I graduated with my BA in Sociology from UVA, I had decided to give it all up and invest in my creative career instead. I left the East Coast, moved to California, and now I have a closet full of my very own home made costumes.


For the past four years I have worked at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, which turned out to be a constant source of inspiration for me. My days are saturated with antique textiles, costume, embroideries, and lace, as well as a steady stream of interesting and awesome people who come to the store to shop and ask for advice on everything from building a Burning Man wardrobe, to analyzing Viking needlework, to designing a wedding dress. I'm fortunate enough to have worked in the collection restoring textiles and setting up exhibits, as well as helping customers on a day-to-day basis.


Please tell us about your fancy dress hats and whimsies. Where does your creative inspiration come from?

Sass! If if brings a swish to your walk or a swagger to your step, then that's worth doing. Vintage fashions are always a good springboard and lately I've been taking my design inspiration from nature with my line of Bug Hats (it started with a ladybug and now there are birds, butterflies, and beetles of all kinds). I thrive off of the whimsical and fantastical, but really I'm all over the map. There is only one rule: if it looks good, do it!

What are your favorite materials to work with? 

The fantastic thing about headdress is that it can be made out of anything. Of course my favorite materials are those that create exciting textures, both visually and to touch. Feathers, rhinestones, fur, felt, ribbons, etc., but especially the combination of all of them - it should make your heart skip.


What other crafts do you enjoy?

I make costume of all kinds. I have implemented everything from embroidery and braiding to carpentry and electronics in my work.

Where can we find you online?

Apart from my Etsy shop, photos of past projects, selfish projects, and other things I have done can be found on Flickr at http://flickr.com/photos/bennettmillinery.

***

Giveaway time!  Kelly has generously offered her vintage-style Black Beetle Whimsy (it will look fabulous on you at your next fancy dress party!) as a gift to one lucky Serendipity Handmade reader:



To enter:

1. Visit Bennett Millinery on Etsy and leave a comment on this post about the fancy dress hat or whimsy of your choice. (Required)

To increase your chances of winning, you have the option to do one or more of the following.  For each action post one additional comment on this post:

2. Follow Serendipity Handmade with Google Friend Connect in the right margin.

3. Follow Serendipity Vintage on Twitter and tweet or retweet about this giveaway:

Giveaway! Win a #vintage-style fancy dress whimsy from Bennett Millinery at http://www.serendipityhandmade.blogspot.com @SerendipityVint

4. Like the Serendipity Vintage Facebook page.

UPDATED: This giveaway is open to all readers and will end on July 29th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. on July 31st at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time . The winner will be drawn by random number at Random.org and announced on August 1st! Be sure to leave your email address, website link, or profile link as part of your comment so I can easily contact you.  Good luck to everyone!

40 comments:

  1. I really love the Death at the Glass Kat hat! I have a bustle skirt that would look sooooo great with it!!

    ellaetc(at)gmail(dot)com

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  2. following on twitter & tweeted: http://twitter.com/ellaanachronism/status/18161684493

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  3. My favorite is the Greyhound Races hat, very elegant! ^^

    vesipisaroita [at] gmail [dot] com

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  4. tweeted. http://twitter.com/ellaanachronism/status/18191329459

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  5. What a positively delightful giveaway! Vintage, vintage inspired, and whimsical headwear are all fashion favourites of mine, and were I to be the (super!) lucky winner of this giveaway, I'd feel like I'd been blessed with an extra birthday gift this year.

    It's such a challenge to pick just one favourite amongst Bennett Millinery's many sublime creations, but I'm leaning most towards this polka dot charmer: http://www.etsy.com/listing/16391629/dotty-for-the-opera

    Thank you very much for holding this fabulous giveaway, Collette honey!


    Big hugs & best wishes for a blissful day,
    Jessica

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  6. Thank you for offering your readers multiple ways to entered, I've retweeted about this marvelous giveaway!

    ♥ Jessica (StrawberryMarie on Twitter)

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  7. You and your blog are firm faves of mine, and I'm happy to report that I've been a Google follower for some time :)


    Tons of hugs!
    ♥ Jessica

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  8. Tweeted. http://twitter.com/ellaanachronism/status/18848166250

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  9. I like Skull Cap from etsy shop.:-)
    lubaska dot k at gmail dot com

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  10. tweet
    http://twitter.com/Lubaska/status/19816440240
    lubaska dot k at gmail dot com

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  11. tweeted. http://twitter.com/ellaanachronism/status/19826294817

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  12. tweet. http://twitter.com/ellaanachronism/status/19861746941

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  13. I love the ladybug hat

    Nicole22654@yahoo.com

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  14. I like the dragonfly whimsy .
    http://www.etsy.com/listing/48028585/dragonfly-whimsy

    tumblemumbo at gmail dot com

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  15. I follow this blog with gfc .

    tumblemumbo at gmail dot com

    thank you

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  16. Liked Serendipity on fb under ana amanti .

    tumblemumbo/at/gmail/dot/com

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  17. Follow you on twitter
    malinda1971

    malmort01 at optonline net

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  18. Love the ladybug hat...
    malmort01 at optonline net

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  19. Like you on FB
    malmort01 at optonline net

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  20. I loveee All that glitters
    email: paranoid.butterfly@gmail.com

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  21. Dotty for the Opera! It's such a pretty, pretty hat! *swoons*

    so.kitsch (at) gmail (dot) com

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  22. I'm following via Google Friend Connect. :)

    so.kitsch (at) gmail (dot) com

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  23. Following on twitter and retweeted, under the username my_wunderkammer.

    so.kitsch (at) gmail (dot) com

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  24. Following on Facebook, under the username wunderfraulein (Andreia Sousa)

    Thank you!
    so.kitsch (at) gmail (dot) com

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  25. tweeted. http://twitter.com/ellaanachronism/status/19905220120

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  26. Liked Serendipity Vintage facebook page. (Gabriella S.)

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  27. .Red Stripe
    I love them all but this one is just perfect

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  28. Afternoon Tea is my favorite.

    boswife @ gmail . com

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  29. fave: red stripe. Love it...period.
    deannalw47 @ hotmail.com
    xoxoxo

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  30. new GFC
    deannalw47 @ hotmail.com
    xoxoxo

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  31. Goodness, her Red Stripe hat is just plain awesome - or anything BUT plain, really! Cheers, stephig13@yahoo.com

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  32. ...and I Like you on facebook! Cheers, stephig13@yahoo.com

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  33. Their Hat, Death At The Glass Kat also caught my eye!
    panicxduh[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  34. Following @SerendipityVint on Twitter and Tweeted!
    http://www.twitter.com/erinxduh
    panicxduh[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Following the blog via GFC.
    panicxduh[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  36. LIKE on Facebook
    name:Erin M.
    panicxduh[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  37. I like the Skull Cap.

    annabell_lee_dk (at) yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Follow Serendipity Vintage on Twitter and tweeted: http://twitter.com/sweepstakelover/status/19998800320

    annabell_lee_dk (at) yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. final tweet: http://twitter.com/ellaanachronism/status/20001810923

    ReplyDelete

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