hat shop

Block Headwear Opens Flagship, Exclusive Designer Interview

Filed under: Apparel

You probably saw Block Headwear first on Will Smith, and you may be used to passing their smart, masculine men's hats at Saks or specialty boutiques. Now, for the first time, after almost ten successful years of hatting, Block Headwear is finally opening their very own flagship store in Soho, NYC at 10 Prince Street (between Bowery and Elizabeth, above).

With the store set to open Friday, we chatted with Cuban-born Block Headwear designer and president Ciomi McCabe.

Luxist: So, how did the first Block Headwear store come about?

Ciomi McCabe: We just felt that now was the right time for this transition. I receive a lot of emails, daily, from customers who've bought one Block hat and want to know where to buy another one, or they lost it in the cab, that kind of thing. As the brand, we always take care of them, but it was really time for us to just open our own store. We'll also be launching online shopping in about a month.

L: Any plans to make hats for women?

CM: Right now, we're focusing on expanding the men's headwear collection and moving into more accessories. I just feel that guys right now are so fashionable, and we fulfill that New York City and LA vibe really well. And when you have a men's headwear collection, women wear it, too.

Tags: block, block headwear, ciomi mccabe, designer interviews, hat shop, hats, new york

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Mühlbauer Hats - Vienna's Must-See Hat Shop

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Green riding hat adorned with pins and tassels

Without knowing it, you may have already seen a Mühlbauer hat. They've been worn by celebrities from Brad Pitt to Yoko Ono, and for good reason: they are gorgeous and remarkably well-made. Mühlbauer has 12 locations worldwide and can be purchased at Project No. 8 in Brooklyn and Fred Segal Hats in Santa Monica (that's it for the USA), but it all started in Vienna.

The company began in 1903 with a millinery and small hat shop in Floridsdorf, a suburb of Vienna. Today, fourth generation Mühlbauer, Klaus Mühlbauer, runs the company -- and he and his sister Marlies design all the collections, which are hand-made right in Vienna. The craftsmanship is of extraordinarily elite quality, making it a treat just to try on the hats. Also, if you can't afford to purchase one for yourself, you can pick up a classic Viennese hat pin for under 20 euros, which they make in charmingly quaint styles like fish and flowers with "Austria"-emblazoned ribbons.

The upcoming collection for Spring and Summer is called "Hello Josefine" in honor of the youngest addition to the Mühlbauer family, Klaus' daughter. We got a sneak peek at some of the upcoming styles and had a ball browsing around in the Vienna Mühlbauer location at Seilergasse 10 in the 1st district.

Gallery: Favorites at Mühlbauer Hats