A Tip of the Hat to Lisa Shaub, Milliner Extraordinaire. Our Conversation …

EverBeautiful.com had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with NYC-based milliner, Lisa Shaub, whose artistry and craftsmanship are evident in the creation of her beautiful hats. After graduating Mount Holyoke with a degree in Fine Art, Lisa went on to FIT to study millinery under Ann Albrezio, the widely recognized doyenne of the industry. It wasn’t long before Barney’s, Henri Bendel and Fred Segal showed an interest in Lisa’s hats and she began to develop a burgeoning clientele that includes Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Claire Daines and Jessica Biel.

But, have no fear, it also includes hat-loving and wearing mere mortals. Yes, Lisa has designed for Broadway, television, fashion shows, shoots and movie stars, and has been written up in Women’s Wear Daily, Vogue, New York Magazine and Elle. but her hats, while beautiful and custom-made, are attainable by anyone. Mothers of the bride, horse race attendees, ladies who lunch and anyone wanting to wear a hat for any occasion – or everyday –  can work with Lisa on the creation of the perfect chapeau to fit their style and needs. Below, our conversation …

EverBeautiful.com: Why hats?

Lisa Shaub: I have an art degree from Mount Holyoke College. I come from an art background,and see myself as an artist. I love fabrics and textures. Millinery is a way to combine the techniques and pleasures we have in Fine Art, and use those concepts to make sculpture that has to not only function in someone’s life, but also be loved by them.

EB:  How did you begin designing hats?

LS: I have been sewing since I was six years old – doll clothes, shoes and little books. I lived in Europe as a child and there was not a lot of TV, so I spent my time making things. When I moved to NYC in the eighties after college, I was all set to become a clothing designer. I
was working at the time in a sample room and going to FIT at night for Fashion Design. I made crazy hats out of fabric that we had at work, and took them to some stores that immediately bought them, and subsequently sold out. I switched into the Millinery classes and ended up studying with the legendary Ann Albrezio. Ed Note: Ann Albrezio was a milliner par excellence and, according to the New York Times, was “one of the last old school hatters,”  who created her designs by hand “in an era of mass production” “… Hatmakers consider her the doyenne of [the] industry …”

EB: What are some of the inspirations for your designs?  Do you get inspiration from history. If so, what is your favorite hat-wearing period?

LS: When I am extremely busy with Kentucky Derby Hats I get a million ideas. I love to be busy. When I make my work I work on my head. I come up with a shape that I like first and keep putting things on and taking them away until the hat has a gorgeous shape, unusual trim and looks as if only I could have made it. I have always been inspired by both Victorian and French 18th Century costume.

EB:  Do you have a typical customer? For what occasions does she wear hats?

LS: My customers are from all over the spectrum. One might be invited to a European wedding and want to wear something appropriate and fun. Another may have lost their hair to illness. I have one client that is a big curator in England and she always buys and loses the same LSFM hat many times in one year. I do a lot of hats for the Kentucky
Derby,. I get the ladies from NYC that are going for work, those that are visiting NYC from the South to buy their racing hats, those that are attending Kentucky Derby parties here in NYC.  My customers have all kinds of needs. One client was going backpacking through Cambodia
but is a chic lady and needs a hat that functions and looks fab. I would say my customer has a hat specific situation that I need to help her solve.

EB: Walk me through the process of designing a hat for a customer.

LS: Say you were invited to the Central Park Conservancy Luncheon. The women who attend are the most well heeled and influencial in the city and they use this opportunity to push things fashion-wise with their hats. You might come into the store with a picture of a shape that you liked, or have no idea what you want. I usually like my ladies to bring the actual dress that they are going to wear or at minimum a physical swatch, as pictures of colors are never correct. We will try a bunch of different styles and shapes on you. Do you want to wear a hat or a fascinator? Do you want to stand out, or are you shy? Are you attending your event with work people and so need to look good, but appropriate?  My job is to make sure that the size is perfect, that my customers feel spectacular and are comfortable. Making the shape can take from one month to usually two weeks. I also do rushes, and once made a Derby hat for a client within 24 hours. So, rush is fine too. When your hat is finished, trimmed and in your corect size, I send a photo for your ok. If that is fine and you are out of the area I ship
you your hat. If you are local you come in for a fitting. Sometimes we need a tiny bit of tweaking such as more feathers, adjust the veiling or add more sparkle. Then you take your hat with you in a beautiful hat box and have a fabulous time wearing it!

EB: What if a customer knows she wants to wear a hat to an occasion, say, her daughter’s wedding, but has no idea what she wants or what will look good on her. What sort of input do
you give her?

LS: This kind of thing happens all of the time. Some religious ladies don’t want to cover up so much but their children insist, so I make the hat work for them. I get the mother of the bride in the shop. They are always so nice. They want to make it special, but they don’t want
to take anything away from the bride. My first move is get them to try on shapes to find out what looks good and feels comfortable. Once we have  worked out the design together, I begin production. I dye the color to match her swatch, make the shape, sort out the trim  and get the hat to as close as I can to what she wanted. Then  she comes in for a fitting. I love when people know what they want, but if they don’t, I have a store full of styles for them to chose from. I have been making custom hats for about twenty years, so I have done this a
lot. I can always find something that will work for her. I also often work over the phone, through Skype and with pictures,never meeting the client, to great success.

EB: How long does it take to create a custom hat?

LS: I usually don’t do one hat start to finish. It can take a month or 24 hours as I said. In the best situation I usually allow two weeks. The color must be dyed, and that can sometimes take several days to correct the color and add layering. The shape takes several days as I
like to work on it then look at it the next day. Then I have to make the hat the right size. Lastly I trim it. I always like to have a lot of time to get it right. I can’t always get the time, but in an ideal world.

EB: There was a ton of attention given to the hats worn at the Royal Wedding of Kate and William. That’s when, at least in my social circle, the word “fascinator” entered my vocabulary. What is a fascinator and is it worn for the same occasions as a hat?

LS: The origin of the word “Fascinator” comes from Victorian times. I just reread the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and Ma refers to Laura’s hat as a “Fascinator”. The original fascinators were actually feather pieces. When you were walzing with your beau he would become
mezmerized by the floating feathers that were stuck into your hair. England has a big hat wearing culture. It was always there, but we became aware of it after the Royal Wedding. I think as Americans seeing the Royals in their hats gave us permission to dress up more. The
English looked so put together, so ladylike. It seems like a great and appropriate idea. Now, mind you, the hats you saw on TV are the most expensive in the world, costing around $3000. And they look it. Fascinators are appropriate whenever you want to wear them. I wear
a hat or fascinator when I want to, I don’t let anyone tell me what to do.

EB: For what occasions do you wear a hat?

LS: I always wear a hat for warmth, a great sheerling and knit hats in the winter, and cover my skin with a big brim in summer. I like very big brims, they look so chic! When I am dressed and going somewhere it can be fun. You always end up getting photographed when you are really dressed up and wearing a fascinator. I also like to test drive my work
to make sure it is comfortable.

EB:  What distinguishes your hats from, say, ones I can buy in a high-end department store?  (I do believe that your prices are better – and for a custom design!)

LS: When you shop in a a department store you are on your own. Even the greatest sales person in a super fancy store has no clue about how to fit you for a hat or can adjust the shape until it is perfect for you. I heard at Barneys you did not even get a hatbox!!! I guarantee my work, so if you buy a hat from me and then your boyfriend sits on it,
I will reblock it for you for no extra charge.

Usually department stores have to mark everything up triple, so that’s why the Philip Treacy hat that you fell in love with costs $1500. As I have had a small business for twenty eight years now, I believe in supporting small businesses in NYC. We can get everything here and are luckier than many people. So, I would say if you chose to shop in my store, you will get a higher level of service, and a quality product at a reasonable price. I always give 100% to solve your specific problem and make sure you feel comfortable and look gorgeous.

EB: What are your favorite fabrics and materials to use to create a hat?

LS: I love fine fabrics. In the winter I use cashmere, fur, fur
felt. In summer I use silk; sinamay (a straw cloth – ed.);  milan straw, strips of straw that give a hat its shape;  sewn pagalina, another type of sewn straw and hand-tooled silk roses. I work with a company in the city that’s 100 years old that makes all the roses here. I also hand dye my own beautiful matte Toyo straw, a paper fiber straw that’s made in China and Japan, in lovely stone colors.

EB: Is the sky the limit when it comes to design? What’s the most unusual hat you’ve been asked to create for a customer?

LS: I think one of the extra large horsehair creations with massive feathers for a Kentucky Derby customer. I also made a very sweet wool monk’s hood for a Buddhist monk.

EB:  If you had no restrictions, from customers or materials, what would you create?

LS: They have incredible materials in Europe, very pricey. Mink furfelt hoods from France, beautiful hand-painted leather skins from Italy, vintage flowers from England, diamant buckles, and vintage feathers from long extinct birds. Many of the most incredible materials are no longer available as they are no longer made. I am always inspired by the material. I believe, as Michelango did, that the object already exists; it is up to you to find it within your material.

EB: I read on your website that you’ve designed for Broadway and  magazine photo shoots. How does that work? Walk me through that process. What happens after they contact you?

LS: When you deal with designers it is more about their vision than yours. I always go into these situations prepared to make at least three versions of what we first talk about. Designers can be very demanding. There is never enough time, it is always a last minute
thing. For shoots they will come in the day of the shoot and just pull from what I have on the floor. I don’t usually get to work on something for a long time, if I do end up giving them something that I have made specifically for them. I always tell them “ I could make
something even more incredible if you would give me a little more
time.”

EB: What are the price points for a custom Lisa Shaub hat?

LS: Custom hats start at $227 and go up to about $450 but if you want a
hat for the winter I can custom make you a beret for as low as $65.

EB: Are your hats currently being sold at retail? If so, where?

LS: My work is available at my own store at 134 Orchard street here in Manhattan, and online at http://www.lisashaub.com. Around the country I sell to Village Footwear in L.A.,Jill Courtemanche in San Diego and in L.A., Ladies and Gentleman in Oklahoma City, The Museum of Fine Art in San Fransisco and Christina Stankard in Watchhill, R.I. I have done
private label for LJ Cross and Peruvian Connection.

EB: Thank you, Lisa Shaub for sharing your talent with us! This has been a pleasure!

To see more of Lisa Shaub’s designs visit her website at: http://www.LisaShaub.com or make an appointment to visit her at her shop at 134 Orchard Street between Rivington and Delancey Streets on the Lower East Side in New York City,  by calling her at 212-965-9176. You can also reach her by email at orders@lisashaub.com and follow Lisa on Instagram.

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