Wyandotte Hat Maker Receives High Honor at Kentucky Derby Museum

Wyandotte hat maker Gena Conti doesn't like to divulge information about her celebrity clients.

"It's a special, private thing," Conti said. "A lot of my clients don't want anyone to know what they're buying. They want it exclusive."

Conti's hats, designed for celebrities or otherwise, have been featured in countless magazines and newspapers from Forbes to the Detroit Free Press. A recent design was inducted into the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, KY in June.

A panel of judges at the museum selects between 20 and 30 hats each year to be featured in an exhibit highlighting one of the most well-known traditions at the historic and storied horse race--hat wearing.

Conti's hat, titled Moulin Rouge Deux, sits along side hats designed and made by some of the world's foremost milliners, or hat makers.

>>See a photo of Moulin Rouge Deux in the pictures above.

Models in magazines such as Hour Detroit, Real Weddings, Metro Detroit Bride and Style Line--to name a few--have donned Conti's creations.

Throughout all of her success, Conti has no plans of leaving her favorite place in the world--Wyandotte.

"This is a neat little town," Conti said. "I'm glad I'm here. I like it here."

Conti especially enjoys introducing people to Wyandotte who've never been Downriver. One of the perks of having a by-appointment-only business is showing off the city, she said.

After 20 years of making hats sold to people all over the world, Conti doesn't see herself exclusively as a milliner.

"(Hats) are sculptural," Conti said. "I joke all the time that I'm a frustrated sculptor. I also love beautiful things. I also love fashion and, more than fashion, I love style."

To find out more about Gena Conti and her world-renowned hats or to book an appointment visit the Gena Conti Millinery website.