ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL DESIGNS HATS

We found this article in a Kentucky newspaper and thought you might want to know about this young girl. It’s not bad enough that our jobs are going overseas, now they’re going to children!

Young Designer Creates Derby Hats

Brittany Means began designing Derby hats six years ago when Keeneland hosted a contest for kids. She won.

Now, at 11 years old, Brittany is one of the youngest entrepreneurs in Kentucky. She's made dozens of hats. All of them feature feathers, flowers, and ribbons for flare. Some of creations are now sold at a boutique in Louisville called "Karen, of Coarse." She even has her own website with pictures of her designs.

All the money she makes goes into a college fund. Brittany hopes to go to design school one day so she can keep making hats.

You can check out her website at www.brittanymeans.com

Hats
Hats are a tradition to the heritage of the Kentucky Derby, which is always scheduled on the 1st Saturday of May of each year. Women throughout the years took great pride selecting just the right hat for Derby Day. Brittany says that the Kentucky Derby is all about the sports to most people, but to her, it is all about the fashion!

Brittany likes making her hats in bright colors that remind her of the colors the jockeys wear.

Brittany's Dream
"If all goes well, and my hats sell, I hope to carry out this dream of making hats for years to come." Brittany says. "It is also my dream to one day be a fashion designer and have my designs on the runway in Milan or Paris.” As a model herself, she knows that it takes hard work and dedication to succeed in this business. Brittany is an honor roll student and would love to see one of her hats on TV.”