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December 26, 2006
Fashion. Birds of a Feather
Fashion. Birds of a Feather: Great things happen when you need to fulfill a creative compulsion. For Hasnaa, it was the start of her earring line called Birds of A Feather. It all happened when she lost one of her favorite feather earrings - she started rocking just the one and people took notice. Maybe it was the single earring, maybe it was the unusual orange and white colors. In an attempt to make a match to the missing, she went to the craft store and got carried away. Hasnaa continued her online looking for more feathers and bought a ton before turning earrings out for friends. After attending a party and witnessing 3 people wearing her jewelry, the questions poured in as to where to buy “those feather earrings” and a jewelry company was born.
Hasnaa’s fascination for mystical creatures led her to use feathers because of the bird’s symbolic association with the soul. “Birds were percieved as a messenger of the gods, a carrier of souls, an oracle or seen to possess the spirit of loved ones. Feathers are also symbolic of prayers being taken up to the heavens and spirit world to receive the message of those down below. The Native Americans, believing that feathers held special powers, felt it was a great honor to possess one and because the types of feathers worn could show a person’s tribe or status, made them a very important form of communication.”
Taking cue from the Native American’s practice of decorating them individually with beads, rope, as well as animal hair - Hasnaa's work chains dyed leather strings and hoops into her distinctive creations. Her collection also includes single pieces meant to be worn alone. Recently though, she’s been taking custom orders to make each piece unique. “I usually chat with the person about their style, the colors they like, their personality, etc. and then I try to put something together that best suites them. Like my one friend - lets call her “Cat” to protect her identity. She's always ordering stuff that’s not on the menu, that’s exactly how she was when she came to pick out feathers.”
Already garnering a small following in Philly, her earrings have been featured in boutiques like Closet Fever and echochic, where she’s worked as buyer and manager. She’s moved her business to Myspace and tells us to expect more. “Birds of a Feather is going to eventually be one line under the umbrella of a larger accessories label. I have a bunch of designs which will include blown glass and metal casting, that I’m working on and collaborating with a friend. It’s going to be ill, something fresh that’s never really been done before. I’m taking accessories to the next level. I’m all about wearable art, the kind of jewelry that your grandmother wouldn't know how to wear.”
For more information about Hasnaa & Birds of a Feather [Here]
Posted by catzie at December 26, 2006 12:57 AM