02.14.13 Style

A Look at Jennifer Behr and Her Uniquely Magnificent Designs

BY Soraya Dayani

I was never one to explore with hair accessories, always preferring to let my hair hang loose around my face but I do love styling with them in my shoots- many of them shot by Amanda who wears them very well herself!

Whether it was a ribbon or cage-front net, I was always trying to find the non-bridal aesthetics. I came across Jennifer Behr a few years ago and fell in love with her designs. We have become accessory fanatics in the last few years and this is just an extension. There is an ethereal poise to Jennifer Behr which reflects her studio’s sound waves. All the delicate fingers riddle, entwining silk ribbons that cascade over the other, each more beautiful than the next. The colours are all perfectly balanced in hues that blend into perfectly trippy rainbows. The elegant tumbles make room for the gleam of the twinkling crystals, etching their way into perfectly crafted settings. Behr’s constellations are bigger than the stars… You can be transported to any decade or time and not look costume-y. There’s a punk rock attitude towards her girly glamour, which of course I adore!

Do you collect old hair accessories?
I’m a magpie when it comes to inspiration. So twigs, lace, photos, torn out notes, old jewelry, anything really.

Where do you get your inspiration from to keep creating the fantasy for each collection?
I collect piles of materials so I begin every season by sorting them out and building all of our samples by hand… designing hair accessories is incredibly limiting actually – there is only so much room on the head and everything has to be flexible and comfortable – but I think having design constrictions is really good for me. It makes me keep re-examining the process and coming up with new ways of using materials.

What hair accessory moment in cinema do you find most memorable?
I’m fascinated to see what Miuccia Prada has done for headpieces in the new Great Gatsby. Besides that, I was quite fond of Liv Tyler’s crown in Lord of the Rings…

Are women more adventurous with hair accessories today?
Yes, years ago when I first started the only hair accessories that were out there were mostly cheap and terrible – so there really was very little to wear. It took a while for women to start recognizing there were beautiful hair accessories again. It can take a bit of courage to start to wear headpieces because you have to get used to seeing yourself in them, but once you do they can be a very powerful thing.

Shoes or jewelry? Which one and why?
Jewelry. It’s almost as always sentimental or significant.

Your favourite quote?
At the moment, as we prepare for fashion week, “Meanwhile the world goes on.” – Mary Oliver.

Biggest lesson you have learnt or still learning in building your own business/label?
That everything is ever-changing. The minute you figure one part of the business out something else goes haywire…

You can follow Jennifer on Twitter @JenniferBehr, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

Photography by Rachael Wright.

A Londoner through and through, Soraya Dayani studied Printed & Fashion Textile design, an education she immediately parlayed into building a career as a Fashion Stylist. She got her start as a Fashion Editor at London's style bible, i-D magazine. After a stint in Paris, she now calls New York home. Since her start she's consistently worked alongside internationally renowned Photographers and Directors on various advertising campaigns, editorial shoots and music videos. Soraya has built a reputation as not only a coveted stylist but a style expert, which has led to countless collaborations with international clients to help find and define trends. You can follow Soraya on Instagram @SorayaDayani.