"Moons and junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way that you feel, as every fairy tale comes real" -Joni Mitchell

Lately I've been searching for some new accessories to brighten my spring wardrobe and I think I've found the perfect pieces! Carly Kalish's headbands are perfect for spring days, summer nights, beach afternoons, and best of all bad hair days. 

It all began when Carly moved to New York City's Nolita neighborhood and started giving her handmade headbands to friends and family as birthday gifts. People took notice of her distinct style so she decided to take a chance and began selling her creations to New York locals. The headbands are fun, whimsical, and have the ability to bring out one's inner free spirit, so it's no surprise that the trend caught on quickly. 

When she's not frequenting markets and unique city sales in pursuit of rare trim and electrifying fabrics to craft her exceptional pieces, Carly is a therapist and advocate of sex workers and victims of human trafficking. With such heavy encounters on a daily basis the designer really lets her inner bohemian out when crafting these colorful accessories. 

I had the opportunity to hang out with Carly earlier this week and check out the pieces. We had lot of fun and took some great photos of her creations. The headbands come in 3 different styles each with multiple color options and are reasonably priced at $5-$30.  

For more information or to purchase a headband contact the designer directly at carlykalish@gmail.com.

The best part--She let me keep my favorite purple floral crown and I haven't taken it off since!

Radiant Crown

Without question, studs were one of the knockout trends shown by designers last season. We saw them fly from the A/W 2009 and S/S 2010 runways onto every possible place incuding bags (Alexander Wang, Balenciaga), Jewelry (Burberry, Noir), Jackets (Bess, Christopher Kane), Denim (Current Elliott, Alice and Olivia) and Shoes (Balenciaga, Gucci).

Now, there is yet another place we can ornament ourselves...On our heads! This Givenchy by Ricardo Tisci spiked headband is the perfect edgy New York girl item, but with a $500 price tag, is a little steep for a hair accessory. 

My friend S however, had an absolute 'I want it I need it' moment and almost took the plunge...Thankfully, she came to her senses--no glorified barrette is worth half your rent. This was the perfect opportunity for a little DIY! 

(Note: You should know that fashion students love a designer DIY like Derek Z loves an orange mocha frapp)

What you'll need:
Headband (Try any accessories store)
Black leather (Try trim/fabric stores)
Studs, 6 big spikes, 5 flat squares (Try trim stores like M&J)
Glue
Pliers
How to:

1. Measure the leather so it is the right size to wrap around the entire headband
2. Measure and mark where you want the studs to be. Start at the temple with a big spike and alternate with flat square studs.
3. Press the studs through the leather. Depending on the thickness of the leather you may need to use pliers.
4. Once the studs and spikes are firmly pulled through the leather, wrap the leather around the headband and glue into place.
5. Allow the glue to dry overnight.
6. Wear it out proudly. Ignore bridge and tunnel creeps who tell you you look like the statue of liberty--they don't know shit. 

The Result

*images via me, Tommy Ton, and Givenchy