JCN Fascinators: December 2015

About me

Claudia della Frattina

I was born in Bremen in 1966 by German mother and Italian father. I live in Rome since I was a child but have always been strongly influenced by the mix of the two cultures.
I started producing my collection in 2014. I mainly use recycled fabrics and accessories, with the idea of giving a new life to old designer clothing, precious fabric leftovers and samples, vintage costume jewelry, buttons and accessories of all kinds. Almost all of my hats have feathers, natural or dyed. I never make hats I wouldn't wear myself!
When I create a hat, I focus on the proportions, on the harmony of colors and materials and very much on the little details.
I called my brand JCN because I wanted to dedicate it to my late mother Jutta and grandmother (Oma) Nina.
They are my inspiration. I inherited from them a sense of creativity and a passion for elegance. Since I was very little, my mother taught me to sew and to recycle any kind of materials for creative purposes; with Oma Nina, a ceramist, I used to attend during summers the ceramic schools in Worpswede, cradle of the German Expressionism. From her I learned the art of taking care of my appearance. My paternal grandmother Olga, Countess della Frattina, passed away when I was still a child but thanks to her I keep the strong persuasion that a woman doesn’t board a cruise ship without white gloves!
My logo is designed by my father Andrea della Frattina.
I try to make hats that are easy and comfortable to wear, never over the top but still with a strong sense of frivolity. I believe a hat must inspire, make you joyful, be a topic of conversation, and this is never achieved by staying too much on the safe side!

My Tokyo Story # 1 and Tokyo Story # 2 have just been selected for the London Hat Week 2019!
My Chrystal Palace inspired tophat was selected for the 2018 LHW and my Vertigo inspired hat was selected for the 2016 LHW.

https://sostylishsbys.wordpress.com/2014/11/13/larmonia-e-leleganza-del-brand-jcn-fascinators-little-hats-di-claudia-della-frattina

Honorable Mention in the Mad Hatters Society contest "Outside of the Hatbox" under the name Claudia Annessi Mecci ( https://www.facebook.com/notes/mad-hatters-society/2014-winners-list-2nd-annual-outside-of-the-hatbox-competition/904326189601104?pnref=story

Exhibition in Arezzo, Tuscany in May 2015 - I Sogni nel Cappello
http://www.aglitteringwoman.com/i-sogni-nel-cappello-arezzo

Quotes about hats that inspired me:
"Wearing a hat versus not wearing a hat is the difference between looking adequate and looking your best" (Martha Sliter)
"Life is like a new hat. You don't know if it suits you if you keep trying it on in front of your own mirror" ( Shirley McLaine)
"Saying you don't look good in a hat is like saying you don't look good in shoes" (Unknown)
"We just know inside that we're queens. And these are the crowns we wear" (Felecia McMillan)
"Whenever you wear your hat, your day will be special" (Margo Nickel)
"I myself have 12 hats, and each one represents a different personality. Why just be yourself?" (Margaret Atwood)
"Wearing a hat is like having a baby or a puppy; everyone stops to coo and talk about it" (Louise Green)
"If a woman rebels against high heeled shoes, she should take care to do it in a very smart hat" (George Bernard Shaw)
"A hat will make you look solar, solemn, regal, joyful ... or bad, in the case of a wrong choice! A hat is the epitome of femininity in every sense of the frivolity this term lets imagine. And let it be for a dress, a bag or a hat, the principle is always the same: Always choose the most noble fabrics!"
(Little Dictionary Of Fashion - Christian Dior, Ultra, 2013)

Materials I use:
Recycled high quality fabrics
Sinamay (a stiff coarse open textile woven in the Philippines chiefly from abaca)
Buntal (Straw obtained from leaves of the Talipot palm)
Crinoline (it was originally a stiff fabric with a weft of horse-hair and a warp of cotton or linen thread. The fabric first appeared around 1830. Today it’s made of plastic or nylon, which are low in cost, lightweight and flexible)
All beads and brooches are vintage costume jewellery, surplus stock and samples from the fashion industry.
All feathers are hand sewn, not glued

About my hats

Headpieces created recycling high quality fabrics from vintage designer clothing, costume jewellery, natural and dyed feathers. All beads and feathers are hand sewn.

Sinamay -

A stiff coarse open textile woven in the Philippines chiefly from abaca.
Fibra tessile rigida originaria delle Filippine, ottenuta principalmente dall’abaca.
Buntal -

Straw obtained from leaves of the Talipot palm.
Paglia ottenuta da foglie di palma Talipot.
Crinoline -
Crinoline was originally a stiff fabric with a weft of horse-hair and a warp of cotton or linen thread. The fabric first appeared around 1830. Today it’s made of plastic or nylon, which are low in cost, lightweight and flexible.
La crinolina era in origine un tessuto rigido con una trama di crine di cavallo e un ordito di filo di cotone o lino. Il tessuto fa la sua prima apparizione intorno al 1830. Oggi è realizzato in plastica o nylon, che sono a basso costo, e lo rendono più leggero e flessibile.
All beads and brooches are vintage costume jewellery, surplus stock and samples from the fashion industry.
Tutte le perline e spille sono bigiotteria vintage, stock in eccesso e campionario dell’industria della moda

Quotes About Hats / Citazioni Sui Cappelli

"Wearing a hat versus not wearing a hat is the difference between looking adequate and looking your best" (Martha Sliter)

"Life is like a new hat. You don't know if it suits you if you keep trying it on in front of your own mirror" ( Shirley McLaine)

"Saying you don't look good in a hat is like saying you don't look good in shoes" (Unknown)

"We just know inside that we're queens. And these are the crowns we wear" (Felecia McMillan)

"Whenever you wear your hat, your day will be special" (Margo Nickel)

"I myself have 12 hats, and each one represents a different personality. Why just be yourself?" (Margaret Atwood)

"Wearing a hat is like having a baby or a puppy; everyone stops to coo and talk about it" (Louise Green)

"If a woman rebels against high heeled shoes, she should take care to do it in a very smart hat" (George Bernard Shaw)

"A hat will make you look solar, solemn, regal, joyful ... or bad, in the case of a wrong choice! A hat is the epitome of femininity in every sense of the frivolity this term lets imagine. And let it be for a dress, a bag or a hat, the principle is always the same: Always choose the most noble fabrics!"
(Little Dictionary Of Fashion - Christian Dior, Ultra, 2013)

"Indossare un cappello contro non indossare un cappello è la differenza tra essere adeguata ed essere al tuo meglio" (Martha Sliter)

"La vita è come un cappello nuovo. Non saprai mai se ti sta bene se continui a provartelo davanti allo specchio" (Shirley McLaine)

"Dire che non stai bene con un cappello è come dire che non stai bene con le scarpe" (Sconosciuto)

“Dentro di noi sappiamo che siamo regine. E queste sono le corone che indossiamo "(Felecia McMillan)

"Ogni volta che indossate il vostro cappello, la vostra giornata sarà speciale" (Margo Nickel)

"Io personalmente ho 12 cappelli, e ognuno rappresenta una personalità diversa. Perché essere solo se stessa?" (Margaret Atwood)

"Indossare un cappello è come avere un bambino o un cucciolo, tutti si fermano a tubare e a parlarne" (Louise Green)

“Se una donna si ribella alle scarpe col tacco alto, dovrebbe prendersi cura di farlo in un cappello molto elegante” (George Bernard Shaw)

"Un cappello vi renderà solari, solenni, regali, gioiose… o brutte, nel caso di una scelta sbagliata! Un cappello è la quintessenza della femminilità in tutti i sensi che la frivolezza di questo termine lascia immaginare. E che sia per un abito, una borsa o un cappello, il principio è sempre lo stesso: scegliete sempre i tessuti più nobili!"
(Piccolo Dizionario Della Moda – Christian Dior, Ultra, 2013)

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10 December 2015

Happy Customer in JCN Beret with Veiling and Feathers

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