ABOUT Leah C.  

Leah Chalfen  Founder and designer

Hat designer and plumassier extraordinaire Leah Chalfen is a pioneering designer who is famous for her artistry in headwear in the high fashion industry.  Now, she brings that same attention to detail, her expert feather hand work and traditional millinery techniques, to the high-end world of INTERIORS.  Her debut collection, Light As A Feather by Leah C. is a collection of LAMP SHADES,  WALL ART, AIR ART and LAMPS SHADE FINIALS exemplifying  timeless accent pieces that highlight her unrivaled couture style.

After receiving her bachelor of arts in foreign languages from Temple University, she studied millinery at New York City’s famed Fashion Institute of Technology, completed her graduate study under master milliner Patricia Underwood and trained with the head milliner of the Metropolitan Opera’s costume department.  She was also asked by Tim Gunn of Project Runway, to teach millinery at the famed Parson’s School of Design in New York City where she did so for several years.  

For 17 years Leah C. creations have been sought after by the world’s top talent in the high fashion Industry. From International VOGUE magazines to the prestigious HARPER'S BAZAAR, Leah C. head-wear has been shot by photographers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Ellen von Unwerth, Solve Sundsbo, Steven Meisel, Bruce Weber and the legendary Irving Penn. Fashion editors such as Patti Wilson, Brana Wolf, Anne Christensen, Lori Goldstien, Christiane Arp and Alistar McKimm amongst many other incredible talents, incorporated Leah C. creations in culture making editorial layouts.   She established Leah C. Couture Millinery in 2000 and continues to live and work in the big apple.