Sarah Ivory: Molly, how did you get into hat making while you were designing shoes at Steve Madden?
Molly Yestadt: Well, I have a Millinery degree from FIT, and I am not sure what exactly interested me about it but…this is going to sound a little cheesy.
Sarah: I love cheese.
Molly: Well, my mom helped me throw a trunk show with all her classy Westchester friends and I got like 20 custom orders. That gave me the confidence to pursue it more actively.
Sarah: You made these old ladies hats, and then what happened?
Molly: I was at a party with a family friend who knew someone at Intermix and that led to a meeting, which led to my first order. I was funding and producing everything myself while I was still working at Steve Madden full time. It was intense.
Sarah: Plus you’re, like, 12!