THE BRAID PROJECT

Just when we think we've seen it all, this incredible tradition was introduced to us! Here is The Braid Project. 

Our client's daughter didn't cut her hair until she was 11 years old, which was their family tradition (her mother did the same). After her first cut, most of the hair was donated to Locks of Love, but a braid was kept as an heirloom and brought to our design desk.

We wanted this piece to have a subtle femininity without being overwhelming. As an heirloom piece it should also have some maturity, so we decided to mount the braid onto a rosewood-coloured velvet mat that checked all the boxes without being  "too girly". 

We chose two mouldings; one with a gilded-gold finish and the other is wooden. We  stacked them to create the frame. The textures of these mouldings accent the braid beautifully. The detailing on the wood frame offers a soft finish with exterior edges that have a pattern of gentle notches mimicking the braid itself. The gold-leaf inner frame adds brightness. ​

Over time, the elastics holding the hair together will dry out and lose their tightness.  To combat this, we used zip ties to hold the hair together at the tops and bottom and then hid them underneath a new gold ribbon. We secured the hair without adhesives. 

There are countless family traditions that we get to preserve and this one looks fabulous!

<< NEXT | PREVIOUS >>