LONDON, Feb 25, 2009 (AFP) - A designer on Wednesday unveiled a full face headdress made of real mice and rat carcasses on the fringes of London Fashion Week.

Photo : Carl de Souza/AFP

A model paraded up and down the catwalk in the headdress, which covered her whole face except her eyes, complete with rat tails dangling down at the front and whiskers tickling her skin.

The creation was designed by French-born hairdresser and wigmaker Charlie Le Mindu, 22.

"I really like mice and rats. But everybody doesn't like them and I just wanted to show people it could be really beautiful," he told AFP after the show.

Asked if he was worried about how animal rights campaigners might react, he said: "It's better to make them (the rodents) beautiful than give them to the snakes."

Le Mindu was not on the official schedule for London Fashion Week but staged a show on the fringes on the final day of the event.