LAMAMIMET

Leigh Magar grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where she began sculpting in high school before enrolling in the millinery program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. She financed her studies by working as a live‑in housekeeper and assisting renowned hatmaker Rod Keenan. After completing her training, Magar returned to Charleston in 1996 and opened an atelier on upper King Street. Her studio produced a range of custom hats, from simple fedoras to elaborate theatrical pieces, and her work was carried by high‑end retailers such as Barneys and Japan’s Isetan, as well as featured at events like the Kentucky Derby. Magar’s clientele included celebrities such as Christina Aguilera and Michael Stipe, and she was named Country Living’s Women’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009. Later in her career she expanded into indigo art, blending her sculptural sensibility with textile techniques. Leigh Magar died on April 16, 2026, at the age of 57, leaving a legacy of innovative millinery that combined craftsmanship, artistry, and entrepreneurial spirit.