Hats off at millinery parades

Sydney milliners have kicked off the Autumn Easter Carnival season with a series of parades around the city.
Several dozen guests attended the showings, held at the Best Western Twin Towers Motor Inn in Artarmon and Park Hyatt Hotel, where they were able to view trends for the forthcoming season.
Several couture millinery labels, including Shirley Ann Designs (Shirley Carroll), Lizzie May (Elizabeth Cole), Headlines (Christine Griffis), Lin Teo Designs (Lin Teo) and Papillon Hats by Margaret Keeble, showed during the parades with attendees then able to purchase discounted stock at the conclusion of the events.
Key looks for the season included felts and the use of farmed emu, peacock and guinea fowl feathers. Price points for the items on display ranged from $250 to $700.
According to Paris-based trend specialists Premier Vision, the key colours for the autumn/winter 06 season involve "lavish displays of colour" in a tempered manner. The trend analysts urge consumers to look for "interesting, not distracting" head pieces and predict antique moss, purple rain, black iris, oyster grey, blue coral and nectarine as being the influential colours of the season.