It is important to encourage new milliners, so in 2008 Eia developed three new headwear design courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, increasing their hat design curriculum to five courses.

Registration in SAIC’s millinery classes went from thirty to approximately seventy in one year. The impact of this exposure and interest will help the headwear industry. Developing these new courses took Eia extra work, but developing an appreciation of millinery for a new generation of students is worth the effort, she said.

Last year Eia created the Raymond Hudd Millinery Awards at SAIC to acknowledge the talent, support, and friendship of renowned milliner Raymond Hudd.

Through the generosity of supporters they were able to give out four awards, bringing hats to the attention of students, customers, the press and the public.

Eia continues to work on keeping hats in the news and on people’s minds, which translates to more hats on people’s heads!

Eia Radosavljevic - Eia Hats
eiahats@earthlink.net