2020 HATalk Competition Entry

Ana Maria Ortega

Ana Maria Ortega – United Kingdom

Raindrop

Description

Describing something as timeless means that it doesn’t have a meaning of good or beautiful. Timeless is unaffected by all the short term advocates for things being elegant or modern. Timeless stands for something unaffected by time and space. In fashion, this suggests something that has gone through time without change. Millinery being part of the fashion industry has an ever-changing appearance creating an almost impossible perspective of timeless. If you visit museums and historic sights, none of the objects displayed is timeless. They are all affected by time and space, ultimately placed in an era or epoch locked to past, present or future.

How then to create a headpiece with the word timeless as inspiration?

Water, without needing further explanation is a timeless element which has been the core inspiration for my design. Water analysed is the colour blue, creates a timeless loop of oceans, lakes, rain and clouds. In my design, I’ve used each form from the outer circle rim to each sinamay drop-shaped loop. Contrasting the blue is a burnt orange symbolising the solar element allowing the timeless loop to continue creating a beautiful contrast to the darker element of my headpiece.

I then reckon that this piece can be easily placed in a very modern setting as well as in yesteryear. I have always been inspired by nature and admire beauty in all its forms. I tend to design something that shows my interpretation of beauty without been complicated. That’s what I love about design, the freedom, the excitement of where my first idea will take me; because is very rarely exactly how I planned it or sketched it at the beginning. What keeps me going is the adventure of challenging my imagination with malleable materials in every design. I love designing!

Materials