As high school friends, Kate Welsh and Rachel Bell were already rolling around the idea of eventually embarking on a joint career endeavor. Fast forward 15 years and they are now smack dab in the middle of their fifth year as The Hat Girls, designing and creating custom one-of-a-kind hats and headpieces for women across the country to wear to the races and other special events. Both Louisville natives, the girls explored their fashion interests in various cities – New York, Las Vegas, Chicago – before landing back in Louisville in 2013 with a plan to make their mark on the heads of the Bluegrass State’s race-goers.
According to Rachel, “Our new showroom and studio gives us the opportunity to connect with our clients throughout the entire design experience and to make our brand available to a wider audience by offering a comprehensive range of styles at an expanded price range,” she says.
While custom-created orders are still a major pillar of The Hat Girls’ business, their retail shop has seen booming success since their opening in mid-March in Norton Commons. Upon a single step into the beautifully appointed space, it is easy to get a vibe of both the eye for style The Hat Girls bring to their designs as well as the wide range of what their skills allow them to offer patrons. Fascinators, wide-brim Southern-style floppy hats, structured sinamay headwear and feather headdresses are only a few of the unique styles that grace the shelves and hat stands of The Hat Girls’ first shop. If you can dream it, they can do it.
But the commitment is major and the hours are long for the girls. One of the things that helps balance the endless days they spend designing, sewing and constructing their pieces is the immense satisfaction that comes from presenting a client with a come-to-life version of exactly what they had in mind for her headwear.
Presently, Kate and Rachel are spending their days between the retail side of their shop and the myriad events they are involved in leading up to the Kentucky Derby. But they spend their nights creating. Now you might be wondering: When do they sleep? Ask either one, and they will tell you, “Sleeping is for after Derby.”
In addition to the one-of-a-kind orders they are fulfilling, and a gorgeous shop full of every topper you can imagine, the girls also have hats available for purchase in several local boutiques (including Rodeo Drive), as well as at Von Maur in Oxmoor Center. This year, they are offering a selection of men’s fedora and boater hats as well, adorned with custom trimmings.Read more at:grey prom dresses
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