Pip Hackett is a couture milliner, whose highly individual pieces have been featured in Game of Thrones, celebrated at the V&A and graced a special edition first class stamp for the Royal Mail. Her collections have been showcased by retailers Harrods, Liberty and Debenhams.
Pip’s exquisitely proportioned, vintage inspired confections are whimsical, sculptural, and always show-stoppers so we were thrilled when Pip accepted our invitation to collaborate with Lily Charmed, using our charms to inspire a brand new collection of hats and bridal hair ornaments featuring our jewellery in couture pieces.
‘The quality of the detailing and the dainty size of the charms were important to me’, explained Pip, working from her studio in West London. ‘I had wanted to work the contrast of silver and gold against the matt flowers and felts I use. It has been really successful, the charms catch the light and dangle so prettily’.
The Bridal Pieces ‘Posy’ and ‘Bumble Bee Orchid’ a design collaboration between Lily Charmed and Pip Hackett, are particularly charming; Pip combines silk roses with feathers for structure and features Lily Charmed's dainty Gold Bee and Silver Hummingbirds to catch the light and add sparkle and interest.
Lily Charmed stylist Jessica Pearce suggests taking Pip’s design inspiration even further and experimenting with charms to personalise bouquets, corsages, and even simply threaded and secured through a hairpin to create your own individual looks.
Ruby Geisha Headress by Pip Hackett for Lily Charmed. Jewellery by Lily Charmed
This fabulously intricate red and gold ‘Ruby’ geisha hair ornament is one of a kind, and uses Lily Charmed 9 carat Gold Hummingbirds with real ruby eyes to great effect. The vintage fabric pansies are from a batch of German haberdashery supplies and the trailing flowers were sourced from Japan. Similarly gorgeous styles can be privately commissioned to order via Pip Hackett's website.
Brides can pick up and extend their hummingbird or Bee theme by accessorising their bridesmaids with the matching earrings, necklaces and bracelets for affordable couture with design credentials!
The ‘Blackbird’ winged felt hat is accessorised with Lily Charmed Birds on a Branch Pin, adding a touch of wit and sparkle, we fell in love with the cinematic, elegant profile. Our model Emma Pearce, says she felt like Grace Kelly in it! Trivia fact; by coincidental twist of fate our talented Emma played a successful Milliner in the first series of BBC drama Peaky Blinders!
The delightfully playful Minnie Stuart hat in black felt is offset here with the Laurel Leaf Pin and the new Love Pin and has a distinctly Audrey Hepburn quality. We love the unexpected combination of Dior elegance and punky Pin!
To complement the 'Minnie Stuart' hat with 'Love Pin' we accessorised with an engraved heart necklace, our bestselling heart studs and a charm bangle personalised with a wishbone and letter ‘e’.
Trivia fact! Pip wears her silver flying pig charm and letter ‘P’ necklace whilst designing – you can be in good company and design your own necklace on Lily Charmed by choosing letters and charms that tell your own story.
And Pip has plans to develop more pieces in the future ‘...I’m playing with a charms with a nautical theme for Summer and I'd love to do something Alice in Wonderland inspired, perhaps a charm bracelet; as I love all the rabbit, cat and cupcake charms designs’.
We hope our design collaboration with Pip Hackett has inspired you to take another look at the glorious potential of hats and headdresses in your wardrobe, and in using your jewellery in new ways to create your own looks. Lily Charmed always love to see pictures of our stylish customers wearing their jewellery, and so please contact us if you have a look to share, or tag Lily Charmed on Instagram with #lilycharmed