New York City based hat designer and NYU professor, Heidi Lee, has had her head-wear featured in VOGUE, the New York Times, MTV, New York Magazine, among many others. As the recipient of the 2012 MET Museum Costume Institute Accessory Design Award, Lee has an A-list clientele which includes Anne Hathaway, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez. She is most notable for her “Endless Echo Hat” that is created with a 3D printer from a scan of her face.
Tell me about your background. Where are you from and where did you go to school?
“I was born in Flushing, Queens, so I am a New York native. I grew up in Philadelphia, starting [at] the age of 6. I went to school for graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design.”
What initially piqued your interest in design and fashion and specifically hats?
“I really like hats because they are like a security blanket. It’s cozy and feels like home. Whenever you are anywhere outside of your normal routine or a new setting and environment, it’s something that makes you feel secure.”
Can you tell me more about the “Endless Echo Hat”? What inspired you?
“[The hat] consists of eight overlapping faces. I got inspired by Echo and Narcissus, Greek mythology and also a painting by John William Waterhouse. Just like any artists and musicians, [the design is] semi-autobiographical. And it’s talking about the Echo Chamber effect of the internet, in which information, ideas, or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by transmission and repetition inside an enclosed system. We also contain multitudes, so it’s being multifaceted.”
What are you working on right now?
“Right now, I am trying to [become] open to the idea of being affordable to the public, like IKEA or Target. I want to make my hats more accessible. There’s a lot of research and development happening, but I want to keep it a little bit secret before I let it out. I don’t like to show the process. I like to show it when it’s done.”
Do you plan to design something else other than hats?
“I am definitely open to it as a designer. I went to [the Rhode Island School of Design], and the good thing about RISD is that they help you develop a sharp eye, so I am open to everything. I would love to design a chair. At the moment, I am trying to hyper-focus on my goals, but after a couple of years, we will see.”
What are your current goals?
“I am getting this hat (pointing at her hat) mass-produced. It’s one of my best sellers. It’s called Vortex hat. A lot of people say that it reminds them of a cupola in a building or a teapot. I also like the idea of how it looks like a virtual hat in real life. I want to refer to a quote of Charles Eames, ‘We want to make the best for the most for the least.’”
Where does all the inspiration for your design come from?
“New York City, living here, like every corner and every street. You never know who you will bump into like I just bumped into an actor from Spiderman on the subway.”
Can you tell me more about your teaching experience at NYU?
“It’s a class for pre-college students. We talk about fashion in general and have some recommended readings, lectures and special guests. So by the end of the class, even students who have no prior experience in fashion, they are making four or five fashion illustrations.”
Where do you see yourself in five years?
“That’s a good question. The sky’s the limit. Who knows. I feel like I just need to hyper-focus and accomplish my goals.”
Where can we follow you?
Images courtesy of: Heidi Lee
Featured Image Credit: Joseph Jagos
