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Inside The Atelier Of NYC's Hat Mistress

This article is more than 9 years old.

For over a decade, Leah Chalfen has been sewing up a storm in her studio, tucked away in Manhattan's Garment District. She is the designer and owner--or headmaster--at one of New York City's finest millineries, Leah C. Couture Millinery.

Chalfen's passion for hat fashion developed after she graduated from college and traveled Italy and Spain for three years, absorbing aspects of European culture and style. Upon her arrival back to the States, a trip to Philadelphia's Costume Institute opened her eyes to the art of hat-making. The twenty-something enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied under famed milliner, Patricia Underwood. In 2000, she founded Leah C. Couture Millinery, where she focuses on designing head-wear for clients' special occasions.

Chalfen seeks to restore the sophisticated headpiece as the quintessential American accessory. But as a result of her time abroad, the hat master's designs pull heavily from the European fashion focus on creating one-of-a-kind, cutting edge pieces that still manage to echo looks from the past.

“High quality products are made from high quality materials and skilled hands," Chalfen says. She designs and creates each custom-ordered piece by hand in her studio. Feather work is her signature detail, and can be found throughout her work.

Her elegant creations have garnered the attention of top stylists and have been featured in magazines such as Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar multiple times. They've appeared in bridal and high fashion shoots by photographers such as Irving Penn, Greg Kadel, Alexi Lubomirski and Karl Lagerfeld, who shot model Snejana Onopka in a Leah C. Couture hat for Harper's Bazaar in 2007.

The press's high interest in Chalfen's creations comes as no surprise. What's not to love about a little piece of luxury, tailored specifically for your face shape, personality and style preferences? Chalfen recognizes that the custom design aspect of her business is uniquely appealing to customers. "I can offer anyone, at any time, a variety of couture creations to suit his or her personality. I believe my work opens up the imagination of the incoming client, who feels he or she has discovered something when entering into my atelier. The notion of candy shop is often expressed."

To see the master at work or request an order, pop into Leah's west side atelier. Appointments are advised, but walk-ins are welcome.

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