October 10, 2007

Band Together

Poppy and Quail Headbands

Where there’s a large, smug man with a clipboard, there’s your name. It’s as simple as that.

But you needn’t be with the band to love Poppy and Quail. Astrid Quay’s new line of headwear may have started out as alterna-merch for her group, Winter Flowers, but now it’s your multiculti fall friend.

Each handmade piece often starts with leather scraps, deerskin lace, and linen thread. Then Quay adds dangly cords loaded with combinations of feathers, chains, pretty stones, colored glass, iridescent and brass beads, or other found objects. She uses whatever she happens to fancy that day, so no two are the same.

Keep relatively subtle with a Native American-inspired version, try an elaborate art nouveau style, or jump for ’70s funk with flashy single and double behind-the-ear cascades. She also takes custom orders, but you may need to wait a bit.

In other words, get in line.

Available at Milk, 8209 West Third Street, between Harper and La Jolla Avenues (323-951-0330). To see styles, go to myspace.com/poppyandquail. For custom orders, e-mail poppyandquail@yahoo.com.