Visually caught up in the moment, is how I can describe my feeling when I received my first hat from Giovannio that was created in collaboration with Cha Cha. The hat, called Cha Cha by Giovannio “Miley” – Wool Cloche, draws you in with its pop of color and statement making. It’s made with embossed vegan leather topped with a luxe soft faux fur that sports a red leopard print. Immediately, as a hat lover, I had to dig deeper to get to know Cha Cha’s House of Ill Repute. I began to follow her on Instagram, and have been enchanted ever since.
Cha Cha is ultra-talented in so many ways and I’m so delightful that she’s discovered her passion in hats as her artistry, style and craftsmanship is a real gift to us all. Each piece is handmade in her studio in New York with a meticulous attention to detail. Cha Cha uses the finest quality straws and felts to create classical styles like fedoras and top hats along with other interesting hats. She then adorns them with vintage style, antique trimming, feathers and creates a combination of modern, retro, vintage classical, and stylish hats. Her unique style have caught the eye of the entertainment industry and have been worn by Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Pink, Queen Latifah and Christina Aguilera among others
Read below for a Q+A with Cha Cha and learn about her journey as a hat maker and more.
Tell me a bit about yourself and your background, what were you doing before you started Cha Cha’s House of ILL Repute? Also, what inspired you to start your journey as a milliner?
I was a district manager for Bebe stores. When I was an assistant manager I took night classes at FIT in millinery. I met my mentor Anne Albrizio there and fell in love with the art of blocking. I continued to take classes and make hats as a side hustle for private clients and a store in the East Village called Marc Montano. I would make hats for his runway shows too. Eventually I decided to open a hat shop on the Lower East Side.
Where did you come up with the name “Cha Cha’s House of ILL Repute”?
CHA CHA is my nickname. Right before I opened my shop I was still looking for a name. I was at jazz fest in NOLA and I was reading a book about the old French Quarter when prostitution was legal and the big old brothels. My husband and I joked that I would like to run a house of ill repute and Voila! The mark is based on wooden store signs that are typical in the quarter.
Describe your brands in three words…
Quirky. Detailed. Magical.
As you like scouring local flea markets for vintage millinery, so is there a particular era you do like collaborating in your hat designs?
Thirties-Forties, aka the Hey Day of the Hat
Could you describe how the hats are made?
Straw or felt is steamed to relax the fibers and then stretched over a wooden block (mold) and tied to the mold with thin ropes and dried in an oven. Once dry we remove the hat from the block, sew in the head sweat and then trim as needed
What do you love the most about your role as a milliner?
I love the blocking process but mostly I love the hat community- individual clients and hat shop owners alike. Hat people are confident weirdos who are always interesting.
What inspires you to create?
It can be anything from a great live music show to a trip to a museum or a new city. Music is definitely one of the things that inspire my creativity, especially jazz and brass band music.
What type of women do you envision wearing your hats?
The people who wear my hats are not following the latest fashion trends. They have their own style, which is often quite specific and very offbeat. They are usually hat collectors, similar to a shoe fanatic but they enjoy the attention and good vibes they get from wearing a great hat. Hat wearing engenders communication with strangers and engagement with the world.
Do you have a favorite piece from your career? Explain the origins of the design. What were your initial inspirations?
That’s like trying to pick a favorite child. Top hats are my favorite and I do have leather one in the shop with a big feather that is just ridiculously fabulous
You’ve collaborated with so many different and fascinating hat companies/designers such as Giovannio New York – I actually love
“Miley” – Wool Cloche from your collaboration with them. Could you tell me a little about some of those relationships and how the collaborations came to benefit you?
The collaboration usually happens via an introduction. Giovannio was through a hat shop owner in Dayton OH. She suggested they contact me about the collaboration and we have just really clicked. It’s a different process for me as I am not doing the production and we are still working out the kinks but it’s great because it introduces my brand to a whole new market. It also pushes me creatively because I have to keep price point in mind, which can be limiting but I find having to stay within parameters makes you have to be even more creative.
What has been your best selling hat/headpiece so far?
Bestseller for the Giovannio x ChaCha line so far is a black straw fedora with purple fabric and chain details. For my designer line its the Luella, a fedora with an asymmetrical brim blocked on a vintage brim block.
What’s your advice to women when starting out to wear – a first hat?
Go to a hat shop and get something that fits well and you feel comfortable in. You don’t have to spend a ton of money just something that’s well made and works with your personality. You should be able to put it on and forget about it. Just like your shoes.
What’s next for Cha Cha’s House of Ill Repute?
Continuing to build the brand itself and refine the collaboration collection. I’m also going to launch a higher end, one of a kind collection in the future.
What do you hope to convey through your headpieces?
Confidence.
How can people follow and buy your hats?
If you have a hat shop in your area please visit and buy my hats there. If they don’t carry my line, ask them to do so. Otherwise Instagram and my website.
In September, I sold my hat shop, Puttin’ on the Glitz. While I carried hundreds of hats by many milliners and designers, I loved working with Cha Cha, and we became good friends. Your interview with her was thorough and evoked responses that highlight her Individuality. Well done. Bravo!