Twin sisters Ashley Cornil and Sara Brady, 33, have a knack for craftsmanship that dates back to their childhood.
“We grew up using our hands, either woodworking with our dad or cooking with our mom,” says Cornil, who studied visual design in college (Brady majored in fine arts).
But it wasn’t until 2013, when the pair took a class at the Wayne Wichern Hat Shop in Redwood City, that they discovered their own art form: millinery. In their Marina studio, the Los Altos natives design stylish wool chapeaux in neutral and rich jewel tones—inspired by the moody hues of Amsterdam’s canals—for their new line, Kin/K Hats.
Toppers have such embellishments as lambskin leather bands, feathers, and 14-karat-gold pins. The wide-brim Angelica, seen above, is distinguished by a single albino peacock plume, a rare and offbeat finishing touch. “Women who wear our hats tend to have unwavering confidence in their style,” says Cornil.