Kathy Jeanne

What Kathy Jeanne does

Kathy Jeanne Millinery is a family-owned hatmaker founded in 1985 in Fairfield, New Jersey, operated by siblings Jay and Jeanne (Jeanne Marie) Gerish. The company designs and produces handmade hats in two seasonal collections per year — the core Kathy Jeanne (KJ) line and the premium Jeanne Marie (JM) line — with each collection releasing a Spring and a Fall assortment. Production is anchored in antique millinery equipment, including century-old wooden hat forms, aluminum presses, and cast-iron sewing machines, operated by a team of 1–10 employees, framing the business as a craft atelier rather than an industrial manufacturer.

The product line covers dozens of styles per seasonal drop (e.g., 76 styles in KJ SPRING 2026 and 57 styles in KJ FALL 2025; smaller JM assortments of 12 and 16 styles respectively), spanning women's hats built from traditional blocking, pressing, and sewing processes. The business monetizes through two channels: wholesale distribution to boutique retailers via the Faire marketplace, with a 6-piece minimum order, and direct-to-consumer sales through a Big Cartel storefront and email-based bespoke inquiries. The primary customer segment is independent boutique hat retailers, with individual consumers serving as a secondary segment.

Kathy Jeanne operates as a self-funded, family-controlled business with no disclosed outside investors, acquisitions, or leadership transitions. All operations are US-based, and there is no indication of international distribution, licensed manufacturing, or technology-platform revenue. The company's strategic posture is continuity-oriented, leveraging heritage craft and seasonal product refreshes rather than rapid scale, M&A, or capital-markets activity.

Name

Kathy Jeanne

Legal name

Kathy Jeanne Millinery

Website

https://kathyjeanne.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Handcrafted Millinery & Women's Hats

NAICS

Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159), Apparel Manufacturing (315)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAAAJAE

Hats, Caps & Headwear

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Accessories (Bags, Belts, Hats, Scarves, Small Leather Goods)

SECONDARYCRAKAEAG

Luxury Hats & Headwear

Consumer Products & Retail/Jewelry, Watches & Luxury Accessories/Luxury Accessories (Leather Goods, Sunglasses, Small Leather Goods)

SECONDARYIMAOAFAA

Headwear Manufacturing (Hats/Caps/Beanies)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Textiles, Apparel & Leather Manufacturing/Apparel Accessories Manufacturing (Hats/Gloves/Belts/Scarves)

Keywords

• Handcrafted millinery
• Handmade hats
• Wholesale headwear
• Women's hats
• Heritage hatmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Hat Sales: B2B wholesale distribution of handmade hats to boutique retailers, millinery shops, and specialty hat retailers. Minimum order of 6 pieces per style. Products sold to retailers at wholesale pricing who then resell to end consumers.
2. Retail Direct Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through Big Cartel online storefront for individual purchasers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kathy Jeanne Millinery designs and manufactures handcrafted hats and headwear in Fairfield, New Jersey using antique wooden forms, aluminum presses, and cast-iron sewing machines over a century old. The company operates two distinct seasonal collections — the Kathy Jeanne (KJ) line with classic and contemporary designs, and the Jeanne Marie (JM) premium line featuring handwoven Parasisol Straw, velour, and vintage lace. Hats are sold wholesale to boutique retailers (6-piece minimum per style) via the Faire marketplace and direct to consumers through a Big Cartel storefront.

Product overview

Kathy Jeanne Millinery is a heritage millinery company producing handmade hats and headwear since 1985. The company operates two main product collections: the Kathy Jeanne (KJ) Collection serving as the primary brand with classic and contemporary designs in various materials, and the Jeanne Marie (JM) Collection offering premium handwoven straw hats and velour designs with distinctive embellishments. Both collections release seasonal Spring and Fall lines, with the JM Collection featuring higher-end materials including handwoven Parasisol Straw and vintage lace. The company sells through wholesale channels (via Faire marketplace) and direct retail (via BigCartel), with products available in standard women's head sizes (22"-23") with a 6-piece minimum for wholesale orders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kathy Jeanne: Primary collection brand featuring hats and headwear for the Kathy Jeanne line, including seasonal collections like KJ SPRING 2026 and KJ FALL 2025.
• Jeanne Marie

Products and services

• Kathy Jeanne (KJ) Collection Primary handcrafted hat collection featuring classic and contemporary millinery designs in multiple colors (Black, Navy, Taupe, Grey, Rust, Wine, Red, Purple and others) with coordinating flowers, bands, and trims. Released seasonally in Spring and Fall editions and sold wholesale to boutique retailers and direct to consumers.
• Jeanne Marie (JM) Collection Premium sub-brand featuring handwoven Parasisol Straw hats, velour hats, and handcrafted designs with distinctive embellishments including Rainbow feathers and Assorted Ivory Vintage Lace. Released seasonally in Spring and Fall editions.
• KJ Spring 2026 Collection Spring 2026 seasonal release of the Kathy Jeanne (KJ) Collection comprising 76 handcrafted hat styles (K700 through K775) in multiple colors with coordinating trims.
• KJ Fall 2025 Collection Fall 2025 seasonal release of the Kathy Jeanne (KJ) Collection comprising 57 handcrafted hat styles (K500 through K557) in multiple colors with coordinating trims.
• JM Spring 2026 Collection Spring 2026 seasonal release of the premium Jeanne Marie (JM) Collection comprising 12 handcrafted hat styles (J800 through J811) using Parasisol Straw, velour, and vintage lace materials.
• JM Fall 2025 Collection Fall 2025 seasonal release of the premium Jeanne Marie (JM) Collection comprising 16 handcrafted hat styles (J600 through J615) using velour, feathers, and vintage lace materials.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FairecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale marketplace platform where retailers browse and order Kathy Jeanne hat collections. The company maintains a Faire storefront at kathyjeannemillinery.faire.com for B2B wholesale transactions.
• Big CartelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorE-commerce platform hosting the direct retail storefront for Kathy Jeanne Millinery at kathyjeanne.bigcartel.com.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Christy's of London: British heritage hatmaker with a long history of producing handmade felt and straw hats. Comparable heritage positioning and craft-based manufacturing, but primarily serves UK and European markets rather than competing directly in U.S. boutiques.

Broad incumbents

• Stetson: Iconic American hat brand with a broad assortment across western, fashion, and outdoor categories. Operates at significantly larger scale than Kathy Jeanne but represents the dominant heritage hat incumbent against which smaller milliners position.
• Eric Javits: Established designer hat brand with a wide assortment of women's hats sold through department stores, specialty retailers, and DTC. Larger scale and broader portfolio than Kathy Jeanne but competes in the same designer women's hat category.
• Philip Treacy: Internationally renowned luxury milliner producing couture hats and headpieces. Comparable at the premium millinery tier with handmade production, but operates at a celebrity/fashion-week scale far above Kathy Jeanne's boutique distribution.

Direct peers

• Lola Hats: Designer milliner producing handmade, fashion-forward women's hats in small batches. Directly comparable as a U.S.-based handmade hat brand selling through specialty boutiques and DTC, targeting similar fashion-conscious female consumers.
• Callanan Hats: Small-batch, handmade women's hat maker with seasonal collections and wholesale distribution to boutiques. Comparable in scale, manufacturing approach, and boutique-channel GTM.
• Optimo Hats: Custom milliner producing handmade hats in small batches with a heritage, craft-focused brand. Directly comparable handmade production model, premium positioning, and specialty retail/wholesale distribution.
• Goorin Bros. Heritage hat brand founded in 1895, producing men's and women's hats with a mix of handmade craftsmanship and broader retail distribution. Comparable in heritage positioning, hat category focus, and boutique/wholesale GTM motion.
• Parkhurst & Co. Small-batch handmade hat brand emphasizing craftsmanship and heritage aesthetics. Comparable in scale, production philosophy, and boutique/wholesale channel mix.

Emerging players

• Lack of Color: Designer hat brand producing fashion-forward millinery for women, with strong DTC and selective wholesale distribution. Comparable product category (women's fashion hats) but with a more trend-driven, contemporary positioning than Kathy Jeanne's vintage heritage aesthetic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KathyJeanneInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/KathyJeanneInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kathy-jeanne-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kathy Jeanne