Get your Juju on

There is something about juju hats as wall decoration that still has me enthralled, even after years of seeing them in countless interior design magazines. I simply never tire of them. It's not just the gorgeous array of colors they come in (although this is big reason), but also the shape, the texture, the level of strokability (not technically a word, I know, but bear with me), and it's the concept of this beautiful element of nature incorporated into your home in such an unexpected way. I love how something with so much meaning - for Cameroonian tribes the feathers symbolize prosperity - can also have such a decorative function in our homes. Not sure the Cameroonian's would agree, but these works of art carry a pretty hefty price tag, so perhaps their commercial value goes a little way to make up for the sacrilege?

Feathers have recently also featured increasingly in fashion. Although I feel a feather boa is best left to drag queens, I am partial to a flirty cocktail dress or wedding gown with the right amount of feather trim.

Personally I love the dress the ever intrepid Anna dello Russo sports below. Not that I could - or would dare - ever wear canary yellow feathers. I'd end up looking like an over-sized chick or fore-shortened Big Bird. I just love that someone out there can and does dress like this!

Anna dello Russo

Alexander McQueen

On the other hand, Beyonce single-handedly proved to me that feathers can also be a BAD thing! To me, the Givenchy number she wore to the Met Gala is a classic example of when bad things happen to people who should know better! This probably looked better on the catwalk. Let's leave any bitchy asides to a minimum. Nuff said!

Beyonce in Givenchy Haute Couture at the Met