Karen is delighted to be one of seven hat designers/artists participating in this inspiring exhibition for London Craft Week. Conceived and curated by Jo Cope in collaboration with Shelter, the hats in this project represent a 'roof over the head' while exploring the importance of having a home that you can call your own, a place to lay your 'hat' and to rest your head. Find out more about the exhibition here, or read on to find out more about the hat that Karen created.
Every hat tells a story
Each designer was invited to create a hat inspired by the story, experiences and future hopes of an individual who had faced homelessness.
Karen was partnered with Chris from Sheffield, whose remarkable story inspired this sculptural cycle helmet.
“If someone gives you something, where can you take it?”
This was Chris speaking about how Shelter helped him, and about his plans to help others in the future. For Karen, it brought to mind a positive spiral, moving forward and outward in an ever-widening network.
After cycling to and from work each day, Chris would pitch his tent high up, overlooking Sheffield. Safer than a shop doorway, the location provided him with a connection to other people in the city, but also a vast canopy of stars above. This combination of pragmatism and spiritualism resonated with Karen, and reminded her of a well-loved Oscar Wilde quote.
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
Chris’s autism means that he deals with life as he would a jigsaw puzzle, or perhaps a mosaic. Karen has described her pattern-cutting as taking a line for a walk to see where it takes her, and the pieces often become a kind of puzzle.
Here, she wanted to create a sculptural cycle helmet - a protective shell, a canopy for the head, a mosaic of stars.
The main spiral piece and back pieces are made from Foss-Shape (thermo-plastic felt) with vintage suede attached.
Inside, wool felt mosaic pieces have silver beads embedded. The grosgrain ribbon has the Oscar Wilde quotation hand embroidered with reflective thread.
The ties are made from simple cotton tape, finished with felt and suede panels at the ends.