Meet Local Hat Maker Jasmin Zorlu

Jasmin Zorlu is soft-spoken and relatively new to Ditmas Park, but don’t let her seeming shyness fool you. Using exotic materials and merging futuristic shapes with classic looks from decades past, the milliner of Marlborough creates headwear completely unafraid to make a statement. And, warmly, she invites us to come take a look at her studio.

Crafted in a room in a Victorian house, Jasmin’s Blade Runner-esque hats walk the line between something the original homeowner might have worn and Brancusi’s Bird in Space. Her passion for millinery began in the ’90s with an introductory course at the University of Michigan, after which she moved to New York.

Jasmin originally lived in Clinton Hill, moving to San Francisco before deciding to return to Brooklyn. Having worked with Rod Keenan and Goorin Bros. (you know, the 118-year-old shop that just opened a location in Williamsburg), she now teaches at Parsons in addition to running her millinery, as well as teaching workshops from coast to coast for others interested in learning the increasingly-rare skill. Her next workshop is back in California in late July.

With a minimal setup and a clear love of the beautiful details in life, Jasmin creates pieces using hard-to-source materials from across the world like Guipire lace and fish leather, has been featured in O Magazine and Marie Claire, and has outfitted Erykah Badu and Tom Waits, among others.

A student surveys her creation, via Jasmin Zorlu

Plus, she offers door-to-door service. “A lot of times, clients are only around for a short time,” she says, reaching past her work surface to pull out a three- or four-foot rolling hatbox, “so I bring everything for them to try on at once.” The box, bought from a company closing its doors and easy to imagine coming off the Orient Express, keeps each wearable art piece safe during travel and onto clients’ heads in the correct shape.

Striped taffy cocktail hat by Jasmin Zorlu

Guipire lace satellite tilt hat by Jasmin Zorlu

Abbie fedora sun hat by Jasmin Zorlu

Her creations may not have started in Ditmas Park, but they certainly seem to be a reflection of life here. With a nod to the olden days plus a jolt of something new, Jasmin’s hats seem to echo the sentiment of visionaries like Dean Alvord, developer of Prospect Park South, who decided to make himself a beautiful country setting within the city, and throw in houses of all different architectural styles to boot.

Jasmin is looking for more opportunities to expand locally. If you see her around, tell her about any workspaces or workshop opportunities you may know, and welcome her to the neighborhood.

Top photo by Liz Caruana, via Jasmin Zorlu, second photo via Jasmin Zorlu