Hats Off to Gladys Tamez
Even if you’ve never heard of Gladys Tamez, you’ve probably seen her work. “Once you’re familiar with my hats, you can spot them a mile away,” the Los Angeles-based milliner, whose sculptural designs have been worn by everyone from Lady Gaga to Megan Thee Stallion, Ariana Grande to Lil Nas X, and can be seen on shows such as “American Horror Story,” tells Variety. “They tend to have a timeless style that is about quality, balanced design sensibility and giving confidence to whoever is wearing them.”
Now Tamez has another feather in her cap: a newly opened Gladys Tamez Millinery brickand-mortar boutique. Connected to her atelier in downtown L.A.’S Arts District, the retail space is an art-filled shop where clients can also watch Tamez’s team of artisans handcrafting bestsellers such as the Kenny, a straw cowboy hat; the Joanne, a pink felt velour number donned by Gaga on her “Joanne” album cover; and the Johnny, a Western staple with a silver-studded leather band, named after one of Tamez’s first clients, Johnny Depp. And don’t be surprised if Tamez treats you to a personal fitting.
“I want the space to be a destination for people where they can learn to appreciate the hat as an accessory — one where the hat is center stage and not an afterthought,” says Tamez, whose namesake toppers range from $ to upwards of $,. “Over and over, I hear the stories of how my hats changed people’s lives for the better,” she says. “Some have met love, business opportunities or just received polite nods and compliments everywhere they go. So who wouldn’t want that?”
E. th St., L.A., gladystamez.com
From top: Gladys Tamez in her new retail space; the Joanne hat ($680), worn by Lady Gaga on the cover of her 2016 album of the same name; Lil Nas X wears The Carson ($219) at the 2019 VMAS.