Anna Xaniotaki is a luxury millinery designer, her creative atelier nestled in Athena, Greece. Here, tradition takes shape — in the curve of a wooden hat block, the softness of fur and wool felt, the drape of fine fabric, and the quiet artistry of handmade flowers. Each creation — mini & pillbox hats, fascinators, boaters, fedoras, cloches, wide-brimmed hats & beyond — is handcrafted to celebrate feminine grace with a modern vintage sensibility.

For Anna, luxury is not reserved for grand occasions. It is the hat you reach for on an ordinary morning, the one that transforms a simple errand into a quiet act of elegance. From the first light of day to the glow of an evening soirée, her designs accompany a woman through every chapter of her day — effortlessly, beautifully, unapologetically.

Her work is an ode to femininity — and a quiet declaration of intent. Her ambition is to highlight women's femininity and elegance by offering the modern woman hats and headpieces inspired by the interwar period — the glamour and artistic freedom of the 1920s and 1930s — and by the quiet grace of the decades that followed — the 1940s through the 1970s. Anna believes that despite the practicality the era demanded, the feminine elegance of the 1940s maintained a sense of refined grace and dignity, highlighting the strength and resilience of women.

 

The Journey

Anna studied public relations and communication. After a decade of professional endeavours in public relations and banking, she decided to pursue her passion for designing beautiful headwear with a vintage twist.

Since she was a little girl, she had wanted to be a fashion designer and create theatre costumes and feminine clothing. But she was told she could not, because she lacked the talent for fashion drawing. So, she found a different way to express herself—through style. Each day invited her to play a different role, and each role required a different hat. Hats have always been her passion.

The time had come to prove them wrong. In 2019, she decided to study fashion design. She attended online courses in fashion design, pattern making, and sewing at eTelestia CAD & Fashion Learning (www.etelestia.com). After finishing her studies, she came across an invitation to a millinery course led by Katerina Karoussos, the last traditional milliner in Greece. Karoussos wanted to pass on her hat-making knowledge to ensure that Greece's traditional millinery art would not be lost.

Anna seized the opportunity and thus began her journey. After attending a series of courses with Katerina, she embarked on her own millinery odyssey—seminars, online tutorials, researching techniques by watching videos of renowned milliners from around the world. She took courses on HatCourses.com, and of course, there were lots of trials, along with many wonderful hat creations. Over the past few years, she has been constantly honing her skills and trying to uncover the secrets of millinery.

Millinery art is so challenging! She believes that there is no more beautiful way to create unique hats than with your own hands. Each hat is a unique journey into creativity, a unique journey between the past and the future, a way of looking at the world, a way of expressing yourself.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, a hat is there to give you "the final touch of true elegance". A hat is a statement, an everyday luxury. It's the final touch to put on before you step out into your world, and it will accompany you in the most beautiful moments of your life.

A hat whispers your secrets, but never truly reveals them!