User:Pollysuesinger

Polly Singer

Polly Suzannah Singer, founder of Polly Singer Couture Hats and Veils, LLC, is an internationally renowned hat designer. Polly was born in Lexington, Kentucky and grew up in Georgetown, Kentucky. She has a B.A. in Political Science from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia.

Polly fell into hat designing by accident. One summer morning while getting ready for work at EMI Records Group in New York, Polly had to put on a hat because a hairbrush became stuck in her hair. While wearing the hat, she saw how people reacted to hats. Soon after that, a friend suggested she take millinery classes at FIT. Polly designed her first hat in 1993 and started classes at the famed Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where she received a certificate in millinery design. Polly then interned for fellow designer, Patricia Underwood in 1996. While studying under Underwood, she helped design hats that appeared in several Hollywood feature films including “Austin Powers” and “Speed 2.” Singer now has her own internet-based company, has won several national design awards and is a prominent hat designer for the nation’s horse racing elite.

Polly Singer started her on-line business in 2003 and custom designs hats for countless events. Her style is a mix of New York elegance and Bluegrass tradition. Her online business features many types of hats. Each of Polly’s designs is an individual work of art and uses only the finest materials. Her Kentucky Derby hats for example are made of fine straw highlighted with imported English feathers and silk flowers, while her winter designs are made primarily from high quality felt. The double brimmed hat is a design that she is famous for and was worn by Star Jones to the 2006 Kentucky Derby.

Polly learned to design hats in much the same way as milliners of the 19th century did. That is, she treats every hat as an individual piece of art and not as a product of mass production. For this reason, Polly is particularly interested in the restoration of vintage hats. She has dedicated a page of her website, which she loving and faithfully restores for connoisseurs of a by-gone era. Polly also designs bridal veils and couture headpieces. She works with brides to make sure their veils are perfect, without exception.

Polly has won several awards. In 2003, her hat, “Matisse”, won “Best of Show” at Hats 2003 at the TLD Design Center in Westmont, Illinois. She was won the Kentucky Museum of Arts and Craft’s 2003 Early Times Scholarship. And in 2006 she won the “Hats Off to Keeneland Award” for the best ladies hat, “Go For The Green”. Polly’s creations have been exhibited throughout the United States from the Museum of Art and Design in Louisville, Kentucky to the Staten Island and the American Craft Museum in New York City. Polly is often featured in the national press. Her hats have appeared in articles from Victoria, Southern Lady, Kentucky Monthly, Forbes, People, Today’s Woman, USA Today and Ebony. The hats have appeared on The Travel Channel, TVG - The Horse Racing Network, ABC’s “The View” and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Polly is also the Co-Founder of the volunteering group, The Hat Ladies of Lexington. Some of Singer’s well known clients have included Kentucky’s First Lady Jane Beshear, Star Jones and Christina Olivares.

In her former life, Polly worked in the music industry. She worked at SONY Music in the Jazz A&R area for 3 years, working on recording projects for Harry Connick, Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis and the Spike Lee soundtracks. Her boss, Dr. George Butler, was an influential jazz producer, who was responsible for signing Harry Connick, Jr, Miles Davis and the Marsalis brothers to SONY.

Polly also worked at Radio City Music Hall, EMI Records Group and Premier Talent Agency. At Premier, she worked on tours for U2, the Pretenders, Eurythmics, Van Halen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, among other bands.

Other positions Polly has held include Assistant Merchandising Manager at the J. Peterman Company. While there, she worked on the Titanic clothing line, which was a project she loved.