SANTA MARIA NOVELLA- Body and Home

Beautiful fragrance for the body and home can lift your spirits and enhance your well-being. One of oldest artisan makers still makes wonderful perfumes favoured by the rich and famous and stylish, worldwide.

Officinal Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is one of the world's oldest pharmacies. It was founded in Florence in 1221 by the Dominican Friars; they started making herbal remedies and potions to use in the monastery. Soon their reputation became world renowned and sponsored by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, the pharmacy opened to the public in 1612.

Many of Santa Maria Novella’s wonderful products have become a part of history. The first “Eau de Cologne” was created in the 1500’s for Catherine de Medici. This was called “Water of the Queen” and featured citrus and bergamot scented water. Its popularity in France lasted into the 18th century.

Giovanni Feminis, took it with him to Cologne and began to make it there, renaming it Acqua di Cologne or Eau de Cologne as a tribute to the city where it was produced. Today the same formula is still used and is called Santa Maria Novella. It is the signature fragrance and the most sought after of all of their scents.

Many of the oldest products from Santa Maria Novella are still popular. The Almond Paste is an excellent rich cream made from almond butter. The Rose Water can be used on the face for washing and removing make-up. The Pot-Pourri is still hand-made and left to ferment in large terracotta jars. The Milky Soaps, scented with their own fragrances are made with whole milk to protect and soften skin. Scents use: Honeysuckle, Rose, Iris, Patchouli, Jasmine, Violet and Lily of the Valley.

The Pharmacy is run by Eugenio Alfandery, who has kept the tradition and legacy of the brand whilst updating the old methods and procedures. All new products keep to the Santa Maria Novella philosophy of quality and precision, mixing old world formulations and expertise with modern mastery of current technology. Local ingredients are used whenever possible and the products are never tested on animals. Each batch is hand-made in Florence and supervised according to age old recipes and artisanal methods.

 For details view www.santamarianovellausa.com  

 

Sara x

Bespoke-To Wear....

Sarah Cant- Bespoke Hats

I love the vintage feel of Sarah Cants hats; they remind me of times gone by. Her hats are so feminine and flattering but also make a statement as well as been beautifully made.

Sarah Cant is a couture milliner devoted to making hats and headpieces from the finest materials, with an immaculate finish and attention to detail. She specialises in working to commission. Every bespoke piece is a one-off, created specifically for the client. Sarah also works on costume design for the Theatre and Bridal headdresses.

Her fluid, organic shapes are the result of combining tradition with innovation. The bespoke hats and headpieces are sculptural, designed to be as striking off the head as on. The style is both quirky and feminine, with an emphasis on strong, elegant shapes which flatter the face. All of the pieces are entirely handmade by the designer. Sarah states that her work is primarily materials-driven.

 I am inspired by a fine straw, a well-textured silk, a piece of wallpaper, and the endless supply of found objects such as old lace, postcards, photographs and buttons.

She trained at Kensington and Chelsea College and worked for Stephen Jones before establishing her own label. Sarah’s work is regularly featured in leading International fashion press and she has made bespoke hats for members of the royal family and well known fashion names.

In 2010, Sarah published Hats! Making Classic Hats and Headpieces in Fabric, Felt and Straw. The book has been published in the UK, USA, France and Spain, and is widely used as a teaching tool for millinery courses.

Sarah is Course Director for the highly-regarded HNC in Millinery at Kensington and Chelsea College and teaches regular short courses at West Dean College. She is a member of the innovative Studio Seven textile artists, as well as the Gloucestershire and Devon Guilds of Craftsmen.

Studio Seven

The Studio Seven textiles artists - Liz Lippiatt, Anne Rogers, Jenny Bicat, Kathryn Clarke, Corinne Hockley, Sarah Pearson Cooke, and Sarah Cant - work both independently and collaboratively to produce a beautiful and diverse range of textile-based artwork, clothing, fashion accessories, and soft furnishings using printing, dyeing, painting, felt-making, multi-media, and millinery techniques.

 To view more work or commission a hat go to www.sarahcant.co.uk

 I also have images in  http://pinterest.com/sarabrowndesign/hats-away

Sara X