Andrew Barnes Lifestyle: African feathered headdress

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Chicken feathers

Bedroom from Serena & Lily catalog

Ever had one of those.... "I told you so" days?

In 2008, my destination was the Windy City for a business meeting. Don't be impressed with my recollection of the date... I looked at the time stamp on a digital photo from that Chicago trip. Anyway, while shopping (just off) North Michigan Ave, a store display featured a red African Feathered Headdress.

Not certain if I screamed with delight or needed a quick round of CPR to revive me... nevertheless... it was love at first chicken feather!

So, like on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," I phoned a friend.

After our discussion, she was convinced that I had lost my mind! I believe the rhetorical question was: "What in the Hell are you going to do with THAT?"

Fast forward about four years. And, yes, I realize that this has been a previous topic on this blog (February 2012)... but work with me!

After the departure of my weekend visitors, my perch was on a patio chair with a stack of magazines beside me. Completely unamused by most of the recent home magazines, my focus became catalogs. In the newest Serena & Lily, one of their room designs displays.... wait for it and a drum roll please.... A BIG OLE CHICKEN above the bed.

Hmmmmmmph!

Not only have those little Bamileke headdresses been featured in Elle Decor in the home of George Stephanopoulos and his wife Ali Wentworth in DC....

www.elledecor.com

http://www.elledecor.com/celebrity-style/homes/ali-wentworth-george-stephanopoulos-house

...but, they are also in the newest style "trend" in none other than Neiman Marcus.

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/White-Feather-Headdress-Wall-Decor-Decor/prod149170143/?ecid=NMCIGoogleProductAds&ci_sku=prod149170143skuWHITE&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw={keyword}

HA! ..... told you that I wasn't crazy.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Juju hats

Cameroon Chickens and Bamileke Bonnets

White juju hat from eBay, candlesticks l'Objet, Whole Foods pussy willow sticks, and Plantation Design wire mesh balls on the mantle in my living room.

Juju hats! My first encounter with a juju hat was in Alessandra Branca's store (http://branca.com/) in downtown Chicago. And, the love affair started immediately. Who knew that something as delightfully simple as chicken feathers could create such a dramatic focal point?

Today, bamileke hats, cameroon feathered headdresses, or juju hats have become that interesting "sought after" item in the design world. Finding them isn't the easiest or the cheapest task. Google tends to be the fastest resource, though I've purchased them from eBay (www.ebay.com) and from Snob (www.snobstuff.com) in Canada.

Traditionally, they are worn for celebrations in the forrested mountains of Cameroon. Dancers, dignitaries, and chiefs wear these brightly colord hats known as Tyn or Juju hats. Fortunately, we can put them on our walls! And... the results are simply fantastic.

In the past couple of years, the design world loved the peacock. Lord knows, peacocks were displayed on mantles, beside chairs, and hanging from staircases... and photographed for every design magazine known to the modern world. Those silly birds were even made into scads of decorative items (notably by Jonathan Adler, www.jonathanadler.com).

Today, the African feathered headress has become that hot decorating commodity. Recently, they've even been featured by Candice Olson and Genevieve Gorder on HGTV. So, if you've grown weary of the peacock fascination, here are some juju hat ideas...