Little Shilpa,Big Heads.

“Little Shilpa is not a name that would get you very far as a designer in the West, you might think, but here this physically tiny designer (hence the name) has a cult following. Ostensibly a milliner (she trained with Philip Treacy), her skills stretch much further. She creates jewellery and accessories but she should really be concentrating on sculpted and architectural works. Her show of brightly coloured perspex headpieces based on bikers’ helmets and native American headdress was exhilarating but, in fashion terms, pure fantasy. The accompanying jewellery was predictable. There seems to me to be valuable talent in the wrong bed here. Her work should be in galleries, not on catwalks. Such a waste.” - Colin Mcdowell

Also read: a recent interview on dotplay + pieces she created for Lady Gaga…entire article here.

“It’s a bob done in moulded acrylic with a little bow and a crown — in crystals — backed with white feathers. It was created using Swarovski…using about 900 small crystals and approximately 45 large ones. The crystal transfers took about two days and the building of the piece about three hours.”

Shilpa says her headpieces and accessories develop through shapes. She always thinks of the pieces as pictures first. If they make a good picture in her head, then they turn out to be good pieces.

Shilpa is 36, studied apparel manufacture & design, and later on jewelry techniques…has been compared to McQueen…been called the Philip Treacy of India..the next John Galliano of accessories. She sees herself doing experimental work; somewhere between fashion and art. Her work has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar Russia, Asos, Dazed & confused, Elle. and on Lady Gaga’s head.

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Tags: alexander mcqueen, Colin Mcdowell, fashion blog, India, john galliano, lady gaga's headpiece, lakme fashion week, lfw, Little Shilpa, mumbai, philip treacy, winter/festive