Who

Eugenia Kim is the foremost purveyor of hats for chic women in the city.

Backstory

Kim grew up in Pittsburgh and studied psychology at Dartmouth before moving to the city, where she worked as an editorial assistant at Allure and took a millinery course at Parsons. The magazine position didn't last long—she was fired after a year—but the class paid off nicely: One day, she was walking around SoHo when a shop owner took interest in the red-feathered cloche she was wearing to cover up her bald head (she'd shaved it after a bad haircut) and placed an order on the spot. Barneys came calling soon after, and within a year Kim had set up a showroom in the East Village. She later branched out to belts, hair accessories, and men's hats. In 2004, she released a collection of footwear, the same year she nabbed the CFDA new talent award for accessories.

Of note

One of several rising young stars who have helped bring back hats as everyday wear—thanks in part to a handful of celebs, including Jessica Simpson, Beyoncé, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jennifer Lopez, who have been spotted wearing her designs—Kim makes hats with a quirky sense of humor, ranging from classics like tweed newsboys to skull caps with cigarettes embroidered on the side. In 2005, she shuttered her East Village store, moving to a showroom in Midtown that's only open by appointment. But her hats can be found at Barneys, Saks, and Bloomingdale's, and devoted fans can always make their own styles thanks to her 2006 book, Saturday Night Hat: Quick, Easy Hatmaking for the Downtown Girl.

Personal

Kim is single and lives in Chelsea.

No joke

A would-be Kim employee, who worked for the milliner as a freelancer knitter for a month, wrote an online article about how she was expected to work for approximately $2.60 an hour.