Chantelle
Westlake

My submission was inspired by the work of Shanghai photographer and digital artist Xiao Houg Shu. Their digital series "A Song of Light & Shadow" inspired the colours I have used in my submission this year. These are not colours I would usually pair together for millinery, so I wanted to challenge myself with a new colour palette, while using sinamay, my favourite millinery textile. In total in this piece, I have used over 100 layer of sinamay to create depth, light and shadows. I have trimmed many of the colour sections with a single strip of black star bright braid to give definition and dimension to my piece. It is reminiscent of stain glass windows, another play of light & shadow. I chose to photograph my submission on a mannequin so the colours would stand on their own, without the competition eye colour and makeup, although I am certain, a beautiful face will compliment the colours in my work exquisitely. I am pleased to submit my Ode to Light & Shadow to the Lillian Frank AM MBE Millinery Award for 2023.

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