Eugenia Kim

Eugenia Kim is a New York milliner best known for her line of hats, and the draw is the design point of view as much as the materials. Her pieces have a real fashion pedigree, sold through high-end department stores and worn by a long list of celebrities, so you are buying a designer hat rather than a generic one. They are worth it if you want a hat that functions as a statement accessory; as she has put it, the right hat can instantly transform the shape of the wearer's face.

Hats, first and foremost. Eugenia Kim is a New York City-based accessories designer best known for her line of hats, the category that built her name and reputation. Her hats now appear in over 100 boutiques around the world as well as in high-end department stores. The hats are the heart of the brand and the most recognisable place to start.

Her hats are widely stocked at the top of the market. You can find them in high-end department stores such as Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, as well as in over 100 boutiques around the world. That broad luxury distribution is a good sign of how seriously the millinery is taken.

Quite a few. Notable wearers of her hats include Beyoncé, Charlize Theron, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore, Diane Kruger, Dakota Fanning, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kirsten Dunst. Her work is also regularly featured in fashion publications such as Vogue, W, ELLE and Harper's Bazaar, which speaks to her standing in the accessories world.

Almost by accident. In 1998, after shaving her head in response to a bad haircut, she designed a feathery hat to conceal it, and the compliments, including from Parker Posey, led to a deal to sell her hats at the boutique Bond 07. After Barneys New York placed an order, she decided to start her own business. She had opened her first retail store in the East Village in 1997 and studied part-time at Parsons while working at Allure.

Yes. She won the Perry Ellis Award for Accessories Design from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, after launching a shoe line in 2004. That recognition from the CFDA placed her among the notable accessories designers of her generation and underlined that her work goes well beyond a single hit hat.

She did, and it was a first for her field. In 2010 she debuted a limited-edition "Eugenia Kim for Target" hat line, which she said was inspired by "Old Cuba," making her the first milliner to design a collection for Target. She has also collaborated with Opening Ceremony and Coach, and did an Urban Outfitters line called Eek! in 2009.

She cites the surrealist designer Elsa Schiaparelli as a role model, which fits the playful, transformative spirit of her hats. Her own creative process is famously unusual: she develops design ideas using Microsoft Excel rather than sketching, because she says she can't draw. That practical, problem-solving approach has not held back a career built on imaginative millinery.

Yes. In 2011, Eugenia Kim designed a fascinator for Princess Madeleine of Sweden, which was worn during the wedding of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock in April that year. A royal commission like that is a strong signal of how her millinery is regarded at the highest level.

Because her hats use a wide range of couture and classic millinery techniques and fine materials, treat them as the crafted pieces they are. Store a hat on its crown or on a stand rather than crushing the brim, keep it away from damp, and brush or spot-clean gently following any care guidance rather than soaking it. A little care keeps the shape, which is the whole point of a good hat, looking sharp.