Introducing... The Felidae Collection

Off With Her Head Millinery introduces 'The Felidae Collection', new for Summer 2013. Taking an inspiration from the feline world, this mini collection features three designs available in a ranges of styles/colours.

Earlier in the year I approached model Black Lotus with an idea for a mini collection that would be inspired by cats of all shapes and sizes and she agreed to model the collection for me. Working with photographer Kitty Radford of Kitty KEMS Photogrpahy and MUA Charlize Golightly I'm sure you can agree that the final campaign is simply puuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect!

The Black Cat Button Fascinator is hand blocked in  wool felt with a needle felted sleeping cat to complete the piece. Fully lined in black taffetta. Attaches with hat elastic. RRP £60.00.

The Cats Meow Button Fascinator  is hand blocked in sinamay with a hand stitched 'meow' slogan in hot pink and bright mini buttons. Fully lined in black taffetta. Attaches with hat elastic. RRP £60.00.

Black Starry Night Kitty Ears Fascinator is hand shaped in buckram and black and silver print wool felt. Fully lined in black wool felt. Attaches with hair comb. RRP £40.00

The Tiger Tiger Kitty Ears Fascinator is hand shaped in buckram and tiger stripe print wool felt. Fully lined in black wool felt. Attaches with hair comb. RRP £40.00.

The Leaping Leopard Kitty Ears Fascinator is hand in shaped buckram and leopard print wool felt. Attaches with hair comb. RRP £40.00,

The Pink Leopard Kitty Ears Fascinator - Hand shaped buckram and pink leopard print wool felt fascinator. Fully lined in pink wool felt. Attaches with hair comb. RRP £40.00.

I spent a little time chatting with model Black Lotus about her modeling and other pursuits and here's the result of our little interview!

Off With Her Head Millinery (Lisa): Tell us a little about yourself

Black Lotus: Ah, I’m so bad at these questions! Well I’m originally from a little town in Wales, now living in Hertfordshire, I’ve been modelling for almost 5 years and I’ve just taken up photography, although I also write fiction in my spare time as well. Around the more creative pursuits I’m a legal secretary by day and spend a lot of time sitting behind a desk trying to convince my work colleagues that I’m actually boring, and have no interesting stories to tell on a Monday morning!

L: How did you get into modelling?

BL: Completely by accident! It was never planned, but I was in touch with a lady who lived locally to me who had just taken it up. I was having a bit of a crisis of confidence so she offered to do me some nice pictures as a birthday present. While we were shooting she told me about Model Mayhem and advised me to sign up if I wanted to do more, as well as a bunch of other girls that were modelling in Manchester that I could go to group shoots with, and it all just started from there!

L: Who is your biggest modelling inspiration and why?

BL: This is a tough one – there are so many great models out there! At a push it would have to be an American model by the name of Velocity. I’ve been following her for quite a long time. She has such a great look, and is so versatile with it, as well as being great with her posing. More than that though she has been very ill recently, and to see the way she has dealt with her problems has really put me in awe of her personality as well as her abilities as a model.

L: The new range you’re promoting is called ‘Felidae’ and is a celebration of all things feline… what is your favourite cat, domestic or wild, real or fictional?

BL: I love big cats, and I have a bit of love for tigers (exactly why I nabbed the tiger fascinator after the shoot!) but my favourites would have to be cheetahs. They’re such graceful and beautiful animals. Oh, and the Egyptian Goddess Mafdet is usually depicted with the head of a cheetah, and was the goddess of legal justice, so they link into my chosen career quite well also!

L: If you could have dinner with any 3 people alive or dead, who would they be and why?

BL: Terry Pratchett, George R R Martin and R A Salvatore. As a fantasy writer, I’ve taken great inspiration from these three authors, all big favourites of mine. (Terry Pratchett is in fact the only reason I wrote my debut novel at all!) I was lucky enough to meet Terry once before and he seemed like a charming man from a brief conversation - I’d just love to pick all their brains about writing and the way they work, drink up as much knowledge as possible from them.

L: If a movie was being made of your life, who would you want to play you and why?  

BL: Oh, I’m really bad with actress names so knowing who to pick is so difficult! Maybe Scarlett Johansson? She was pretty good as Black Widow in the Avengers movie – great actress. Although to be fair I think maybe Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reid in Scrubs is a little closer to being me than anybody else!

L: Plans for the future, upcoming shoots, campaigns?

BL: I wouldn’t say I have any specific plans really - my modelling is just a hobby that like to indulge in as much as can, but I’m very relaxed about it. I have a few shoots booked with some of my favourite photographers, Kestrel, Magic Owen and Pirate Photography to name but a few, however! My main goal now is just to shoot for more designers and just to keep creating images that other people like to look at!

Any actual plans I do have in the modelling world are more on the photography side of things now, I bought my first camera this month and am just trying to get to grips with it before I go into model (and possibly a little of everything else!) photography. I’m very lucky in that a couple of friends, who also happen to be talented models, have said that they would be happy to let me shoot them, so I’m hoping it’ll go quite well!

L:  How can people contact you to book you for modelling work?

BL: The best way to contact me is either though my website (www.theblacklotus.net) or, if you have a Model Mayhem account through the site (www.modelmayhem.com/891742).