This is the second collection of headpieces for Shrimpton Couture, designed and made by hand by the talented Lucia Echavarría of the Magnetic Midnight label. Both this collection and the first that we did together draws its inspiration from some of the most famous headpieces in fashion’s history. Each collection, along with each individual headpiece, is exclusive to Shrimpton Couture.

This collection has been named Egyptomania and Lucia drew her inspiration from ancient Egyptian art and its presence in our cultural imagination. Egyptomania was a term used for the fascination with all things Egyptian in the nineteenth century, a fascination that spread to architecture, art and literature. The movement culminated in the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922; after which, Egyptian motifs pervaded modern culture, art and fashion, becoming an integral part of the language of Art Deco. Cleopatra, its most famous queen, and her countless portrayals in art, literature and film throughout history, equally embodies this fascination with a magnificent past.

Each of the twelve pieces in the collection plays tribute to the dialogue between old and new in a palette combining rich black and gold velvet with gold sequins, mirrors and beads with hints of turquoise, coral and blue. Each is a one of a kind, made by hand masterpiece that feels modern yet evocative and like an incredible vintage find that is both timeless and unique.

The Aswan headpiece is a small headband that features gold beaded leaf and flower embroidery on a black velvet base. This piece is entirely handmade and a one off. As a result it may have slight imperfections, which only add to the uniqueness of the piece. To clean any mirrored surfaces, please gently and carefully wipe with a soft cotton cloth moistened with alcohol. In order to protect this piece, please store it in the hard-sided box that it will ship in.

Measures 7.5" total height from bottom of band to the top x 9" total width. The height from the center of the band to the top is 1.5". The size of the band can be adjusted to fit any size.

Item #MM2-1

In the 1960s Pierre Cardin produced a series of modernistic animal pendants. They were huge and made out of a silver toned metal. Each has a with a good, decent feeling weight to them and each hangs suspended from the same chunky silver chain. There is at least a half dozen animals in the collection and this is one of two that I currently have in the shop. I love the 'space age' aesthetic they have, a signature of his work during this era. This one features an elephant and the pendant is both massive and dramatic. It is a perfect statement piece that you can wear with anything. It is signed at the back. Excellent condition

The elephant measures 4.5" across at the widest point and is 5.5" top to bottom including the large loop clasp that attaches it to the chain. The chain is 21" end to end and has a clasp closure that allows you to adjust the length.

Item# A344

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Halston began his career as a milliner. In 1959 he was made head milliner for Bergdorf Goodman's and became a sensation. His hats were featured heavily in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and he gained international notoriety when Jacqueline Kennedy wore his pillbox hat that she wore to the Presidential inauguration. He stayed at Bergdorf's until mid-January 1968 and pieces from this time period are exceedingly rare and this is one of the very few with this label inside that I have seen come to market.

The hat is one of his quirkier pieces and bears a striking resemblance to the part of the Halston hat that we can see, photoed by David Bailey for Vogue in 1965. It is made out of a black velvet with stiffened net inside to hold the shape. It has beautiful rounded curves that play on a beanie shape but with more structure and form. The top is detailed with a flat velvet covered disc that is circled with faux fur. The faux fur shows some flattening from age but is otherwise fine. That little disc sits atop a 'stalk' that enables it to bobble and move as you do. A quirky and unusual little detail. Halston believed that a hat was a "covering which is supposed to make you glamorous, exciting, and more interesting than anyone else". This has all that and more in spades. Excellent condition

20.5" circumference. Hand block and made completely by hand. Attached interior combs and finished with interior horsehair netting and grosgrain ribbon.

Item# A342

Reference Photo: Model in Halston Hat. Photo by David Bailey. Vogue, September 1965.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Hermes is the gold standard when it comes to producing bags and the ones done in the 1950s and into the 1960s are among my favorites. This is a stunning example of the work they were doing during this time period and it pairs exquisite style with excellent craftsmanship. The bag would have been assembled entirely by hand and is a testament to the excellence demanded by the Hermes ateliers. This bag is made from a calf box leather in a wonderful shade of blue. This is the only one I have ever seen in this color so can only imagine that it was a special order as it is very unique. It has both a long, adjustable one shoulder strap and a wooden top handle. The detailing is done in a gold.  The bag opens out completely at the top and is secured by a double turnlock closure. The interior is a combination of blue fabric and leather and features one zip pocket, one slip pocket, and four adjustable leather loops to secure the contents. This would have been used as a vanity or train case in its time period and is just the right size to be used as a bag in our modern times. It presents as being in great condition with some notes to review below.

This bag is in very good overall condition. There is very light, normal scuffing to the exterior leather, minor, normal wear scratching to the hardware. Overall the exterior is in excellent condition with wear consistent with its age and normal use. The interior fabric is discolored and the bottom leather base, the side leather loops and sides shows wear and discoloration. There are no signs of alarming odors or real damage. The interior flaws are all surface damage only. General signs of wear and age. The bag is still infinitely wearable with years and years left to it.

11" Width x 8" Height x 8" Depth. The strap adds 18" to the height

Item# B144

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

The La Mendola label is one of my favorites. They did the most amazing custom prints. In their heyday the Rome based duo who launched the label were designing for stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth and countless other celebrities and jet-setters. Best known for their striking print dresses, they also did scarves for their clients and these featured a variety of their beautiful prints. This one has a pretty floral design with a full bouquet of soft colored flowers in a large vase. A easy way to add a pop of bold color to your wardrobe.

100% silk with hand rolled edges. I see a couple tiny spots near the edges - nothing that detracts

34" x 34"

Item# A336

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Iradj Moini is a renowned designer of couture jewelry with work and/or exhibited in several museums around the world including, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre Museum. This is a particularly beautiful piece that blends fresh water pearls with citrine, semi-precious stones and mother of pearl. Eight full strands of pearls circle the neck and meet at the huge brass clasp. This is a Iradj signature and the clasp on this piece is especially beautiful. It is adorned with stones, crystals and mother of pearl to form a beautiful spray of large flowers. The clasp slides into itself to close and the necklace is signed. Excellent condition.

Measures 16" from end to end and the clasp is approx 2.5" x 1.75"

Item# A333

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Henry Schreiner founded the Shreiner Jewelry Company in 1939 and by 1953 they were designing for their own line and also under the name of some of the top designers of the time like Adele Simpson, Norman Norell, and Christian Dior. Schreiner jewelry used gun-metal plating, bronze plating and gold plating for backing along with very expensive custom made special shaped stones made in Germany by skilled Czechoslovakian craftsmen. Pieces were made by hand and they never mass-produced.

This is an exceptional piece with an over-sized floral feeling medallion that is quite large - it actually measures a full 3 inches across and just over 4 inches long. This slips onto the gold chain with a hook and once detached can be worn as a brooch. A very unusual combination. The stones are poured glass and combine an opaque white with a bright orange and a yellow that pop against each other. I wore this in a shoot this past summer and have included two shots from that so you can see just how big the necklace is once on. It i s a beautiful piece of hand made costume jewellery.

The medallion is 3" x just over 4" and the chain is 16-19" long with a 1" drop. Hooks to adjust and the logo plate can be found on the back of the medallion. The medallion has a brooch closure as shown.

Item# A330

Reference Photos: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

'One can never overstate the importance of accessories. They are what turns a dress into something else. I like dresses to be sober and accessories to be wild'

-- Yves Saint Laurent, 1977.

Yves Saint Laurent is one of the most influential fashion designers of our time and his jewels have as much relevance as his clothing. He created exquisite jewellery to complement each of his collections and the creations that incorporate poured glass and the vivid colors of his collections are among the most coveted.

This is an exceptional piece with an over-sized fringe tassle that I believe is a Coppola e Torro detail that is also combined with poured glass. YSL has his jewellery created by many different sources and Torro did many pieces For The Haute Couture designers including Elsa Schiaparelli, Valentino, Pucci, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Ken Scott And Roberta Di Camerino. I believe this is one such piece. It is  large - the dangling pendant/brooch measures a full 6 inches long and 3 inches across the top portion. This pendant piece slips onto that a thick gold knot chain with a hook and once detached can be worn as a brooch. A very unusual combination. The round accent pieces are a mix of opaque and a more translucent poured glass, combining an opaque coral with blue and green. The tassel is feels like glass beads and are strands of green with each ending in a single red bead. It i s a beautiful piece of costume jewellery.

The pendant is 3" wide x 6" long and the chain is 16" with a slip closure. The logo plate can be found on the back of the pendant. The pendant has a large brooch closure as shown.

Item# A332

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

This is a pretty little labeled hat made from a peach silk that has a touch of texture in its weave. The brim is slightly enforced so it has some shape once on, but it is really meant to "flop" and sit softly on the head. I love the little rosette braided detail that runs around the crown. It is a pretty little summer hat. Excellent condition

16-17" inner circumference but meant to sit on the top of the head so the circumference is almost unnecessary

Item# A328

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

I love this little dramatic red hat. It just sits off to the side of your head and gives you an instant pop of color and pizazz. It is made of a red grosgrain and is entirely made by hand. It has its Milliner label - Renata Originals in it but I have not been able to find out more about who that was or a definitive date. Its fabulous regardless and I love it.

It has two little combs to attach it to your hair and it is approx 6" high

Item# A325

Reference Photos: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, for her weekly style column on our blog Curated. (Photos by Erin Leydon) Click here to see the full column >

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

I am a little obsessed with this fedora by Christian Dior. It has a small, neat brim and sits at a jaunty angle once on. It is made of a felted wool and the band that circles the crown is an ultra-suede. The textures those two fabric have when combined are delicious and the colors make it the perfect chic neutral. I love love love the little "arrow" detail that give illusion of going through the hat and how each side of that detailing is anchored with a little gold piece. Trust me - you will wear this one over and over. Excellent condition

Appears unworn other then a slight patina to the gold detailing on the banding. Grosgrain ribbon edging on the interior

21" inner circumference

Item# A309

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Love this high set and unusual Hubert de Givenchy pillbox hat that is a really amazing color combination of a copper and pale pink gold tone silk satin. The label has it earmarked as an "adaptation" which means that it was licensed and made in America for the American market based on the Paris designs. This was common in this time period to work around strict importation rules for fashion and fabrics during this time period. It is meant to sit high on the head and have a structured turban feel to it. Excellent condition

Structured body with a inner, stiffened horsehair net lining. Hand finished. The slightest of grubbiness to the fabric but I am being very picky.

23" inner circumference

Item# A307

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

This is a pretty flapper cloche or skull cap that is completely hand beaded. It is getting harder and harder to find really exceptional pieces from this time period so when you do you know it is special! It is a pretty combination of seed and tube beads with little "pearl" beads mixed in. The hand work is easy to see from the interior and the beads densely cover the surface. The metallic hued interior of the beads have oxidized overtime giving the cap this lovely antiqued silver feel. The inside is ribbon edged but unlined and this allows you to easily see all the extensive hand work. It just sort of clamps into place and cut with one part curving up away form the head. On each end a separate and more densely beaded piece is placed for extra glamor. Excellent condition

Almost impossible to measure as it just sits on the head with no true circumference It has some flexibility built in and that makes it one size fits all. The mannequin it is shown on would be the same size as a normal average size girl.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: One Size Fits All

Item# A237

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.