Lola

THE DESIGNER

Lola Ehrlich was born in Holland and grew up in Paris, where her parents—an artist and a writer—encouraged her creative side while keeping her out of school. After failing as a ballet dancer, she moved to New York, where she worked as a crafts designer, textile conservator and magazine editor. Lola then opened a shop on Saint Marks Place specializing in one-of-a-kind hats for East Villagers and a few adventurous uptowners.

From there, she ventured into wholesale. Her hats have appeared on covers of magazines ranging from Elle to Vogue Italia and are now sold worldwide in such stores as Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Liberty of London, L’Eclaireur in Paris, and Tomorrowland and Isetan in Tokyo. Lola divides her time between her Bushwick studio and her house in Saint Paul-de-Vence.

OUR CRAFT

Our hats are made with vintage blocks, or new blocks handcrafted by an Italian artisan based in Paris who regards each wooden mold as a unique creation. Each hat is stretched on a block and then steamed and pressed by hand. The same level of attention goes into trims, which are sewn on by hand and adapted to the individual hat.

OUR STUDIO

Our Bushwick studio inspires us daily. Filled with books and artifacts brought back from Lola’s travels, the 5,500-square-foot space has 60 windows that provide a spectacular view of Manhattan. A pop-up shop inside the studio is open every Friday from 10 to 6.