Henley Hats I
This piece is inspired by the glamorous and exotic hats worn at the Henley Royal Regatta, a fabulous annual event in Henley on Thames. The piece is bright and optimistic with bold shapes and colours inspired by a local milliner along with a few vintage hats spotted at HRR over past years.
Each hat is different, some worn by men and some by women and they capture the drama, excitement and style of a day by the riverside watching the different races.
The background of the piece is collaged with names of the races from a vintage race programme and within the hats are collaged fragments of a local ordnance survey map. The local towns and villages along the River Thames are shown within the hats along with places of interest and the key of the map. several tiny birds can be seen perched and camouflaged within the feathers and shapes.
These are vintage collectors cards, a subtle reference to the individuality and beautiful detailing of the hand-crafted hats. The birds also hint that people can be glamorous and colourful and also live in harmony alongside nature
