BY PETER DAVIS

Jeanne Lanvin, Coco Chanel and Halston all started as milliners. And keeping the art of hat-making alive today is 23-year-old Gigi Burris who just launched a collaboration with haute-vintage heaven Screaming Mimi's. "I've shopped there for years," Buris tells me. "I was incredibly excited to create pieces with a modern vintage feeling true to my label and Screaming Mimi's aesthetic. The collection for Screaming Mimi's is a confectionary cute line of hats designed for the trendsetting downtown girl in mind. I took vintage handmade materials imported from France to craft a light and airy floral based pastel range, featuring both headbands and dotted mini veils." Burris, who graduated from Parsons and was called a talent to watch by Vogue Italia, counts Rihanna as just one fabulous customer. Born and raised in Central Florida, Burris is fond of using alligator skin in her creations and says some of the gators used were caught in her own backyard! Now based in the East Village, Burris sees millinery having a comeback. "I personally think the best way to top off an outfit is with a headpiece!  It is the piece de resistance of an ensemble.  Whenever I wear one of my own creations, or any hat in general, I seem to get a lot more attention. Everyone wants to take it off your head and try it on."