Satya Hats
Satya Twena, the CEO and Creative Director of Satya Twena Fine Millinery, is truly living her dharma as the glowiest hat-maker around. Visit her historic NYC factory for the most soulful, beautiful custom hat experience you'll ever have. We can't wait to go back for more. Satya’s first entrepreneurial endeavor started in 2010 when her mother asked for a soft hat to cover her bare head after she lost her hair due to the effects of cancer treatment. Satya started to experiment with different styles and fabrics, realizing that she had a real passion for the art of hat-making. She continued making incredible hats for herself, her mother, and friends out of her apartment using a jiffy steamer and her oven.
Needing to fill orders, Satya’s friend, designer, Charles Nolan introduced her to the Makins Hat Factory (one of Manhattan’s last hat factories, in the Garment District of NYC). She worked closely with them until 2013, when the 40 year old Makins Hat Factory abruptly closed due to bankruptcy. A kickstarter campaign and dedicated fundraising efforts allowed Satya to save Manhattan's last hat factories, and transform it into the glowy, beautiful, thriving business that it is today. Satya and her absolutey lovely cousin Malka are the heart and soul of this business, who along with their hardworking team, continue to preserve the legacy of the Makins Hat factory and the craft of hand made hats in America.
Our visit to their factory really blew us away. To begin with, Satya and Malka have the most vibrant energy that infuses into the space and the hats themselves. We were able to witness the making of our hats, which we now never take off, from the very start to finish. Everything about our hats are tailor-made to our heads (we even got personalized quotes engraved into the lining!) There are literally countless styles, shapes, fabrics and colors to pick from. If you haven't noticed, we basically live in hats so we know we will be back to Satya for many many more hats in our future. For those of you not in NYC, you can also order hats online through their website.
| Satya Twena Fine Milinery // www.satyatwena.com |
Photography by: Jai Lennard