Meet Gladys Tamez, Milliner To The Stars & Lady Gaga's Go-To Hat Maker

Gaga’s style is obviously iconic, especially when it comes to headwear—whether it’s a thoughtfully-placed slab of meat or a gleaming black bejeweled wide-brim encircling her with a curtain of crystals, millinery is a form of art, and we’ll never be over the latter from her unforgettable 2016 Victoria’s Secret performance. 

The force behind the hat, Gladys Tamez, is consistently designing the chic chapeaux you see on just about every celebrity and style star, but lately she's been making headlines again with the unveiling of her latest project: a collaboration with El Tesoro, wherein the two indie Mexican businesses join forces for a Tequila-inspired straw cowboy hat in homage to the country’s deep history of artisan craftsmanship. We chatted with Tamez herself for an inside look at the process and what she has coming up next. (FYI, you can buy the hat here!)

How did you first get into hatmaking?
I had a line of dresses that was all over the It Girls in Hollywood but with the successes came a burnout and I wanted to do something that was more elegant and focused. I grew up in Northern Mexico and the hat is such an important part of the regalia, and when you look at the greatest style icons, they always wear hats. I grew [up] loving Bianca Jagger, Cher, and Patti Hansen, who all wear hats with such confidence, but I didn’t see anything on the market that met my criteria of high quality, balanced design, and complementary to most any outfit. My definition of luxury is in the making of the hat, not in branding. I just wanted to fill the vacuum and it just went from there.

You've collaborated with many A-listers over the course of your career thus far—can you share some of your favorite stories behind one or two of these experiences?
My favorite collaborator is Lady Gaga. She has such an encyclopedic knowledge of fashion and respects and understands the hat as an essential part of personal style. Though we have done many projects, my favorite was the “million dollar hat” for her Victoria's Secret performance in Paris. We decided to merge Gypsy Rose Lee and Bob Mackie and came up with the Swarovski-encrusted cowboy hat that had a curtain of black crystals that mimicked a risqué dress. She had to perform in it, so it had to hold up with her swinging it around, and it did! And not one crystal fell off. Every client has a story to tell, and I love finding their perfect hat so that they can feel the empowerment and confidence a good hat can give to them in their daily lives. My hats have brought people success, love, and feelings of fabulousness. I want to share that as widely as possible.

How do you personally interpret the intersection of Tequila and Mexican fashion?
Tequila is a source of pride for Mexicans, something we can call ours that the world has embraced, with good reason—it’s a soulful drink that exudes a true sense of place. It transports you to Mexico with each sip. I’ve gotten to know how great Tequila is made from very specific agave conditions. To make El Tesoro, the Camarenas allow the agave to reach peak stress conditions [as] the plant works incredibly hard to produce life-sustaining nutrients, and only then is the agave harvested. Stress creates beauty. The same can be said for fashion—pieces that have a story behind them, a sense of place, struggle, and triumph. My hats are inspired by the things I’ve seen around the world but particularly my homeland of Mexico, a beautiful place in spite and because of its struggles. We Mexicans are very passionate people, and that comes through in everything we create.

How did you and El Tesoro come together? And what has the experience been like, given that it's your first collab with a Tequila brand?
El Tesoro is a true artist’s Tequila. We came together to make a custom piece that honors the way El Tesoro is made—the old-fashioned way, no cutting corners. The process takes time, patience, and diligence, and the result is worth the wait. Both of us share the same passion and desire to create a true feeling of luxury when people enjoy our craft, knowing how much time and attention to detail went into the creative process. Learning more about this, the Camarena family’s history and approach to craftsmanship has been so inspiring. Being able to celebrate our work together has connected me to my Mexican heritage on a deeper level.

What do you see in your future when it comes to diving deeper in the world of agave spirits?
I look forward to going back to Mexico, to visiting the La Alteña distillery to learn more about El Tesoro and the amazing tequilas that are produced there, and spending time with the Camarena family. I’ve been lucky to taste the range of El Tesoro including the Extra Añejo, one of the greatest Tequilas you can find, and the rare and beautiful Paradiso, a bottle Don Felipe Camarena aged in Cognac barrels.  The possibilities for creativity and collaboration are endless!

Any other stories/thoughts/news you'd like to share with us?
My next collection is inspired by my mother, Elizabeth who is my personal style icon. She was a Lancôme model in Mexico with big eyelashes, red lipstick and always dressed to the nines. She passed away recently and I wanted to pay tribute to her by designing a collection that goes to my earliest childhood fashion memories of reading Vogue Paris at my mother’s bookstore called Tivoli Books in my hometown in Mexico. It was here after school with my mom that I became exposed and eventually obsessed with fashion design and style. But my mother’s support and encouragement along with her singular style that most informs who I am and how I design.

[Photos via @gladystamezmillinery/El Tesoro]