Fumbalinas

Making a Statement

Jodie Cartman – AKA Fumbalinas – creates unruly yet sophisticated statement headwear and accessories, from couture metallic PVC Turbans to unique origami and floral infused headpieces that are made to turn heads. Fumbalinas was established in 2012 due to the lack of unique, handcrafted headwear available on the market. Fast forward to today and Fumbalinas’ distinctive work has featured in British Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, in music videos and on celebrities including Madonna, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Kylie Jenner, Fearne Cotton, Travis Alabanza, Morcheeba and Jayde Adams, as well as delivering workshops around the UK and raising money for a number of charities. Home House gets to know the woman behind the iconic headwear.

What did you do before founding Fumbalinas?

I’m Yorkshire-born and bred and I moved to Brighton after studying dance and drama at university – realising it wasn’t the right career path for me. After experimenting with making costumes for festivals and parties I found I had a love and a knack for it, and it wasn’t long before I started getting requests for pieces from friends, etc and realised I could use my skills to earn a bit of extra cash and eventually perhaps a proper income. I was working in a call centre at the time. Twelve years on, and with a lot of determination and hard graft I now entirely and successfully work for myself as Fumbalinas full time.

Tell us all about Fumbalinas; how do you make your pieces?

Fumbalinas champions unique and statement headpieces and accessories, and more recently clothing too. From the get go it’s always been about standing out, not blending in. I find and use vintage jewellery, oddities, materials and rejects, and work them into wearable pieces. I like to source all my materials from used or secondhand origins where possible, and the majority of the fabric I use is deadstock / last of the batch – meaning each piece we make is rare, special and the majority of the time, one of a kind. Do you have a target market in mind when creating your products?

It’s for anyone that wants to add some panache to their look! Be it a finishing touch to a day-to-day outfit, or a showpiece for an extravagant party, a ‘Fumbalinas’ brings a flavour of flamboyance-meets-elegance. It’s not for the faint hearted, but if it works for you, there’s a whole world of designs we can conjure. All my work and collections come straight from me and what I want to offer the world. I never design with a specific audience in mind. I think it would suck the soul out of it for me.

Where do you get the inspiration for your designs from?

I draw a lot of inspiration from fashion and photography of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Designers such as Paco Rabanne and Mary Quant blow my mind and have me itching to try new ideas. Flash Gordon is probably THE film I admire most for its costumes, and I obsess over film photography from the ‘50s too.

What are some of the most interesting projects that Fumbalinas has been involved in?

I was commissioned a few years ago by the Royal Academy of Art to make an interactive headpiece for one of their events that guests could try on and be photographed in. The piece was wired with lights and an accelerometer, meaning that the wearer could change the colour and intensity of the lights as they moved their head in different positions. More recently I collaborated with singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor to create a ‘Kitchen Disco’ crown, raising money for the Stonewall charity with each sale.

‘Unruly yet sophisticated statement headwear’ Can you expand on that statement a little?

There’s a fine line between extravagance and the ridiculous. I want my pieces to stand out and get attention, but for the right reasons. They are bold, unique and attention-grabbing but need to be refined, practical and ultimately, wearable. I want my pieces to embolden those who wear them.

The photography that goes with your creations is stunning; how do you go about creating those images?

I’m obsessive when it comes to vintage photography, and therefore employ its practices to my own work. I take and/or direct all my photoshoots myself using only 35mm film – developing it myself too. The process as well as finishing result and aesthetic is so much more satisfying than anything I could take digitally, so it has become a fundamental aspect of our shoots and very much part of the visual aesthetic of the brand.

How does the bespoke service work?

You tell me what you want, and I make it happen! I’m generally given a brief with some reference points in relation to size, style, textures, materials, shapes and colours, and from there I’ll draft design ideas and we go back and forth until my customer is 100% satisfied with the final design. Very often these types of commissioned pieces are for a specific event or stage show, so the design will be composed and realised for that occasion. You are involved in delivering workshops; how does that work?

Pre-covid I delivered quite a few workshops. Some were for large events, such as for Aberdeen Art Museum where I led a ‘gothic headdress’ workshop, whereas for the Royal Academy of Art it was Alice in Wonderland themed, and then I did some smaller workshops where people could bring their own ideas and I’d help them create what they had in mind. Post-covid I don’t have as much time to commit to these as I had to find ways of filling those work gaps in lockdown, but it did allow me to come up with our ‘make your own’ kits and tutorials, which you can buy directly from my shop. These are aimed at all ages and abilities to inspire you to have a go at making a headdress yourself and learn a few new tricks. They are very popular and it’s wonderful to see the things people create.

What is the best thing about doing what you do?

That it’s everything I thrive off doing: crafting, fashion, photography, modelling and working with friends. I genuinely would be doing exactly what I do for fun anyway if it wasn’t my career. So I’m THRILLED that I’m able to make the thing I love into what I do for a living. I couldn’t ask for more than that really!

What does the future hold for Fumbalinas?

More of the same but on a grander scale. Bigger shoots, couture collections and some fresh collaborations would be wonderful.

What do you get up to away from working on Fumbalinas?

RELAXING! For me that’s hanging out with my partner and my son at home or drinking ale at our local pub with friends. It’s the best.

www.shopfumbalinas.com