Inspiring Conversations with Meredith & Nicole Sanders of Sanders Hat & M.A.D.E.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith & Nicole Sanders.

Hi Meredith & Nicole, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a one-woman hatter in Nashville and I take great pride in making high-quality bespoke hats. I truly believe that hat-making is a fine art, so I like to follow traditional fundamentals – but with a personal touch.

I was working in TV and film when I found out there was a specific job as a milliner/hatter and I was so curious! I began researching and buying all the hat-making equipment I could get my hands on. Finding people who were willing to teach me or talk to me about the craft was a challenge.

So I did all the learning that I could do on my own, then took as many classes as I could find to train with hat makers. My wife and I lived in Italy for 3 months to take an intensive course from a hat maker there, and when we came back, we bought a new studio that we converted from a music studio! I’ve been settling into that and making it my own for the last year, but have picked up the pace of creating since then.

My wife and I also wanted to bring hat design to the masses, because we wanted others to be able to feel the pride of designing their hats – and have their custom piece of Nashville, so we launched M.A.D.E. (Milliner’s Atelier Design Experience) in 2023, where we host hat design parties for duos and groups in the upstairs of my studio.

We love feeling the energy in the room when someone puts on their custom hat for the first time. Having the opportunity to be creative and take the time to make a different hat every time is what makes me the most happy.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s not a lot out there for people to learn how to create hats from start to finish. The hat-maker community can sometimes be tight-lipped and hesitant to share their knowledge.

It’s also sometimes hard to find machines, or get them fixed because it’s becoming almost a lost art a lot of the tools you work with are very outdated. But, I like to tinker with things, so it’s been a fun exercise – and when you do find vendors you like, it becomes your little community!

For M.A.D.E., we’re just launching and are in a private studio in a neighborhood, so it’s been harder to get the word out to the bachelorette parties and tourists because we’re not easy to stumble upon! We’re looking for more ways for the tourist experience to see that we’re here for them!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Sanders Hat Company & M.A.D.E. Nashville?
With Sanders Hat Company, each hat is created by hand. I love to use different dyes and techniques to make it look truly unique and one of a kind. We use only high-quality materials, and a lot of them were sourced when I lived in Italy, so there are not a lot of people here who would have them! I take great pride in creating beautiful hats, especially when they’re custom orders, and making sure it’s exactly what people want and love.

M.A.D.E. is a different experience because it’s custom to you! Since our studio is private (the only private space to do this in Nashville), we can truly customize the experience for your group. Instead of just hoping your size/style/color is in-house, we purchase for each person ahead of time to ensure they get the hat that they want. We also are the only place where your experience is hands-on – and you’re learning with a real hat maker.

The other places like this in Nashville just do everything for you while you watch – we want you to be able to say you M.A.D.E. your hat! Our pricing also reflects quality, but we have different options to be able to cater to different budgeting levels. We want every hat lover to be able to come and design with us!

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
It sometimes feels silly to say, but “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” really rings true to us.

We love working with people, and with hats, and even on the harder days it’s still all worth it. There’s a lot of trial and error in this business – and it’s a great reminder that you’re capable of more than you think you are.

Pricing:

• Express Design Hat Experience – $175/hat (including 3 customizations & you choose your hat color)
• Customize & Create Hat Experience – $300/hat (includes 2 premium & 2 standard customizations, higher quality materials, more styles & colors to choose from)
• Full Atelier Design Experience – $950/hat (this includes a handmade custom hat from Sanders Hat Company and all customizations. You choose everything!)
• Custom Hat from Sanders Hat Company starts at $500/hat
• Launching soon Palm Leaf hat workshops and teen parties that will be at different price points

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sandershatcompany.com
• Instagram: @madenashville & @sandershatcompany

Image Credits
Laura Godwin