If there was ever a designer who was not afraid to make a fashion and philanthropic statement together, it would be Lisa Burke. Not only is she the creative force behind the Australian swimwear line ‘Lisa blue’, she also happens to be an avid lover of whales and dolphins, which is why, in her efforts to bring awareness and help save them, she donates 25 percent of her profits to a conservation society.
Again, not surprisingly, the Lisa Blue Collection for Spring/Summer 2013 showcased during Mercedes-Benz Swim Fashion Week on July 19 in Miami this year was inspired by all-things marine. Entitled “Call of the Whale”, her collection for 2013 consisted of a range of looks aimed at today’s multi-faceted woman.
Head Ornaments at the Lisa Blue Swimwear 2013 Collection
What we loved about the collection was the way it took you on an underwater adventure, with vibrant splashes of color, Spanish and Mid-western influences, pin-up styles from the 1950s and to top it all, an Asian twist in the form of exotic head ornaments in gold and silver.
While the models in part looked like belly dancers, there were actual dance performers doing the flamenco on the runway, much to the audience’s delight. Combined with the most ethereal of looks, the models wore head pieces made from coins, silver or gold chains, leaves and dragons that were all in keeping with the five different collections within the Lisa Blue S/S 2013 collection, namely; The Enchantress, The Dragon, The Orchid Flower, Flamingo and Cover Girl.
Matha Patti
Head Ornaments – Lisa Blue Swimwear 2013 Collection
This piece of jewellery reminds of the Indian ‘Matha Patti’, which in essence is an ornament that goes along the hair line and consists of one or more chains attached to a tikka at the center of the forehead. It could be worn either along the hairline or off the face.
The piece worn by the model has a center tikka that is attached to the back of her hair with an intricately worked gold strip running along her hair line.
These hair pieces looked beautiful worn with the models hair pinned up or down, depending on the cut of their garments. Their simple makeup was just right to show off both garment and accessory.
Head Circlet
Head Ornaments Lisa Blue Swimwear 2013 Collection
This beautiful head circlet was perfect for her Dragon collection seeing as the center ornament is a dragon. The two fine gold chains were attached to the sides of the hair using clips, aided by a center hair parting.
Tip: You could try this look using interesting pendants and chains, and pinning them to the sides of your hair.
Jhoomer
Head Ornaments Lisa Blue Swimwear 2013
While this ornament isn’t made of gold, it resembles the Pakistani Jhoomer to some extent. Traditionally, a Jhoomer is clipped into the hair and worn towards one side with a center tikka.
The ornament worn by the model is styled in somewhat the same way. The leaves are a nice touch with the chains aligned in a triangular structure along a center parting. The model’s hair is let down, which gives the dangling leaves support and emphasizes their presence.
Lisa Burke’s collections were all about versatility and variety. While we saw strapless bikinis with gathers, tank suits, royal blue and white pieces to name a few styles, we also felt the presence of the seas in each of her pieces, be it through fabric, color, style or texture.
In the end it all boiled down to style and statement. And when these traditional head ornaments were worn the Lisa Burke way, I must say that they looked simply gorgeous.
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