Behind the Design:: Headdress inspiration for the Spring 2011 Collection

 (Christian Dior via Style.com)

The best part of putting together a collection is gathering the inspiration for the designs.  It becomes a total love fest and a rampage of appreciation for the over the top catwalk (not always ready-to-wear) pieces you might see at Fashion Week.  Some of the designs just kind of tick me off, but -honestly- if I can take a few minutes to dissect what goes into making them, a whole new world of visual inspiration opens up.  And it's all over... I can't stop from diving in. 

Here's a little of what I've found along my online travels and a little of what you will be seeing... colors, materials, or composition... but on a pieced apart- modified- altered scale.
(The Christian Dior collection, above, is a stunning representation of how I am wanting the feathers to be integrated into the designs.  I love the luminous nature of these... going for whites, pinks, soft hues)

Coco Chanel was big on the understated having a powerful impact.  Black, navy blue, white... even if the designs are grander in stature, they are grounded and wearable with the use of that palette. Always striking, always so well constructed, always always an inspiration.

Loving these colors for Spring.  Plus the billowy nature of the fabric makes the use of these vibrant colors that much more pleasing to the eye.  This headdress is by Kiko.

Gemma Ward modeling for a past Alexander McQueen collection.  Those butterflies (moths?) are captivating.

And then, when I saw the movie, Cat's Meow, a few years back, I made a mental note of the headdresses that Kirsten Dunst wore for the role.  This one's a beauty...

I'm having good times putting some of these elements into the final pieces... with a twist.  And I can hardly wait to wear them myself .

Which of these do you love/like/can do without?