In a previous article, I wrote about my time at F.I.T. and mentioned that I interned for Patricia Underwood. Here’s a little more about that internship.
My internship took place in the summer of 1996. It was hot and I worked most afternoons there. Since it was summer, we were working on fall hats. I helped comb the felts and finish the ends. I would be covered in hat dust by the end of the day, but I was blissfully happy to be where I was, so it didn’t matter.
What impressed me most about the staff at Patricia Underwood was that it appeared to be one big family. Patricia was the kindly fairy godmother and the staff always seemed happy. The best music was played in the loft workspace, the type of music that you would hear at a 1960’s cocktail party. I worked next to Betty, who had been with Patricia forever. Wendy, the production manager, was very cool.
Patricia Underwood’s design style could be called minimalist. The hats “speak” for themselves. There is not elaborate trim. I learned that a classic hat style is key. The more simple the hat, the more options the customer has in putting together outfits.
A highlight was being able to work on the Austin Powers movie hat project and also, doing hats for Speed 2. The hat for Austin Powers that I assisted on was the off-white bubble hat in the opening scene. It had fake sunglasses on the bubble. To work on a hat and then see it on the big screen got me hooked.
By Polly Singer
