Black Hat Designers Are Giving Us Glam

Elevate your style: Top off your spring look with a chic lid from a Black designer.

By
Published May 19, 2023
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A sharp hat can take an outfit from great to glam. Looking your Sunday best has always included a stylish hat to complement your outfit, especially for church-going folks. Although times have changed and more casual dress is acceptable at many churches these days, the art of accessorizing a great outfit with a fly brim is not completely lost. Many hat shops, haberdasheries and custom milliners have disappeared over the years, but some have survived. And of those that are still here, only a few are Black-owned.

If you are looking to rock a sharp hat from a Black designer this spring, why not celebrate the Black hat brands still crafting custom brims with love? Here are a few hatmakers we found who are still thriving and still loving what they do. Some will give personalized advice on the best hats to fit your head size and shape, as well as the best hats to match your personal style and to celebrate Black culture.

Caribbean Cowgirl

Owner: Blogger Lanatria Brackett Ellis

Her Story: The brand created by this influencer and fashionista born to a Southern mom and a Jamaican dad is fairly new to the fashion world. Her hat collection features colorful fedoras and straw hats in fun styles like the Bermuda Baby, a big, floppy straw hat perfect for a beach day.

Price Range: $49 to $59

Where to Find: Shop her website.

ShopCaribbeanCowgirl.com

IG: @shopcaribbeancowgirl

Pretty AnntoiNet’s

Owner: Hair fashionista Linda Antoinette Nelson

Her Story: Nelson makes fashionable hats and hair accessories from gentle-on-the-hair materials. Her quality hats and hair lingerie are crafted from luxurious silk, which doesn't cause breakage or rob the hair of moisture. The line includes colorful reversible silk bucket hats as well as silk beanies, berets, scarves, headbands, sleep caps, bonnets and loc tubes.

Price Range: $25 to $89

Where to Find: Shop her website.

PrettyAnntoiNets.com

IG: @prettyanntoinets

TomGFashion

Owner: Fashion blogger Tunmise Robinson

Her Story: Nigerian-born Robinson was a popular fashion blogger before she opened her online fashion boutique, TomGFashion. Her playful and colorful line of hats includes floppy straw hats, wide-brim and flat-crown fedoras, and her popular red-bottom fedoras.

Price Range: $39 to $250

Where to Find: Shop her website.

ShopTomGFashion.com

IG: @shop_tomgfashion

Frances Grey

Owner: Fashion designer Debbie Lorenzo

Her Story: Named after Lorenzo’s great-grandmother, a seamstress from Jamaica, Frances Grey is a luxury millinery brand handcrafting sophisticated and one-of-a-kind hats worn by many celebs. Lorenzo is known for her modern interpretation of the straw fedora.

Price Range: $220 to $550

Where to Find: Shop her website or Nordstrom.com.

FrancesGreyny.com

IG: @frances.grey

Fruition Hat Company

Owners: Hat trendsetters Bryan Chatman and Stanzel Jackson

Their Story: Hat lovers turned hat designers, Chatman and Jackson have been crafting hats for men and women since 2018. They opened their Atlanta store in 2020, offering not only hats but also accessories and services including cleaning, maintenance, custom hat design and consultation. 

Price Range: $40 to $480

Where to Find: Shop their store in downtown Atlanta or their website.

FruitionHatCompany.com

IG: @fruitionhatco

B.M. Franklin & Co

Owner: Hat designer Brandon Franklin

His Story: Franklin learned the art of hat making at the world-renowned hat company Worth & Worth in New York City. His love for hat design led him to open his Buckhead store, specializing in custom hats and high-quality ready-to-wear. Use the online design services, or call to consult with the team and create your custom hat. Hat-making classes are also available.

Price Range: $250 to $1,000

Where to Find: Visit his store in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, or shop the website.

BMFranklinco.com

IG: @bmfranklinco

Hats by Bunn

Owner: Hat designer Bunn

His Story: In business for more than 20 years, Bunn personally designs and crafts each hat by hand with men and women of color in mind. His brand features funky styles that accommodate dreadlocks and other natural hairstyles.

Price Range: $90 to $250

Where to Find: Visit his shop at 2283 Seventh Avenue, Harlem, New York City, or the website, and then call the shop at 212-694-3590 to order.

HatsbyBunn.com

IG: @hats_by_bunn

Monrowe NYC

Owner: Model-turned-milliner Dani Evans

Her Story: The winner of America’s Next Top Model Cycle 6, Dani Evans created a hat brand inspired by the unique, free-spirited style of her grandfather, a jazz musician from the South. Her brand is a unisex and contemporary take on the classic Western-style hat with inspirations from the jazz era.

Price Range: $245 to $385

Where to Find: Shop online at SaksFifthAvenue.com or on her website.

Monrowenyc.com

IG: @monrowenyc

Ashaka Givens

Owner: Hat and fashion designer Ashaka Givens

Her Story: In 1996, Givens was tasked with dressing up-and-coming singer Erykah Badu and created her now well-known funky and eclectic style. More celebrity clients signed on, including Missy Elliot, Rosario Dawson, Joi and Annabella Sciorra.

Price Range: $285 to $650

Where to Find: Shop her website.

AshakaGivens.com

IG: @ashakagivens

Note: All prices are subject to change.

Donna Torrence is a publicist and journalist based in New York City. She contributes feature stories on entertainment, health, and wellness to AARP, poisedmag.com, and Eurweb.com. She also covers film and television for blackfilm.com.