With only days to go until we take the new collection of Boutique Collection hats and fascinators to the Moda Show in Birmingham (14-16 August), this week’s blogs are all about hats and fascinators. Don’t forget we will be on stand G14 (our usual position) and we would love to see you there to show you our new styles!

Today we share with you the inspiration for the new collection, including the new colour trends for occasion wear’s Autumn Winter 2011 & Spring Summer 2012 collections, from our Head Designer Kelly.

Autumn Winter 2011

The look for the Autumn 2011 is a mix of heritage classics with vintage glamour, epitomised through the use of rustic jewel tones and luxurious fabrics to create glamorous eveningwear, and deconstructed classic elements within occasion wear

‘Vintage ladylike decorum and Cinematic elegance’ sums up the mood of 2011, and with 1940’s silhouettes and accessories inspiring new collections The Boutique Collection takes loose inspiration from the details and shapes of 1940’s millinery. Knot constructions which are reminiscent of the drape detail on turban style headwear of this era feature, while vintage trims and accent details will give that eclectic look, without appearing fussy.

With the emphasis on prints in occasion wear fashion, our collection will combine unusual textures and tonal block colours that will complement busy prints.

‘Rustic jewel tones and heritage colours’ are prevalent on catwalks this autumn/winter, so our collection takes inspiration from the colour trends that are appearing within catwalk and occasion wear collections for the autumn.

Key colours include:

• Grenadine, or intense ruby red, Bordeaux, Burnt Russet which will be incorporated with our new Red Magma crystal and our Cranberry, Red and Fudge silks.
• Marigold, a burnished gold and Winter Pink will be combined with our new Indian Pink crystal and our Daffodil and Geranium silks.
• Pumpkin Orange, a rich golden tan, Poppy Red and Deep Purple will be combined with our new Dark Indigo crystal and Indigo silk.
• Sea Green, Cognac Browns, and Mallard Green, are accented with brown and milk.
• Introduced to the collection are heritage colour silks such as Hazel, Leek and Beeswax, combined with Antique Plum and Zinc.

Spring Summer 2012

Spring focuses on the fruitful abundance of colour, pattern and form provided by nature to inspire fashion!

We have combined the key trend elements from the catwalk to produce accessories that will complement the forthcoming fashion collections for spring 2012. Our focus has been on the 1940’s and 50’s for millinery influences and trim details. We will combine elements of the eclectic use of nature-inspired trims and colours, with the comforting textures and luxurious fabric trends popular within the said eras, to create classic, yet contemporary millinery designs.

The Colour palette for Spring/summer 2012 is a Colour Symphony, performing harmonies of soft pastels with a crescendo of mid-tones and lyrical accents. Available in the most luxurious fabrics, tactile textures and organic forms, the new collections are sure to be full of inspiring classic shapes, reinvented for eclectic, contemporary millinery hits!

Key colours include:

• Geranium paired with our hot new crystal colour Indian Pink and Poppy red, a bright scarlet shade.
• Tender pastel hue Periwinkle is paired with Province Lavender and Light Sapphire crystals.
• Neutral, nude hue Stone, is paired with Golden Shadow, and earthy, warm Honey, which is paired with new crystal colour Sand opal.
• The vibrant Brights of the new season are Canary yellow, Orangeade, and Grass, which is paired with Fern Green crystal.
• Aquatic Blue hues include new Ocean silk, mixed with Sapphire crystal, along with the deepest of blue silk shades Midnight and Indigo, paired with new crystal Dark Indigo.