Evetta Petty’s Amazing Luther Vandross-inspired Hat

Here’s a preview of one of the fashions that dazzled at our Luther Vandross “Never Too Much” Celebration on Wednesday, April 17, at Thread Lounge. Our celebration featured a music panel (with Luther’s backing vocalist, Cindy Mizelle, and choreographer, James, Evin), live performances (by Keith Anthony Fluitt and Christopher Fiason), a fashion show (curated by Catherine Schuller), a beauty transformation and health testimonial (by Alicia Mitchell), a vendor bazaar (with True Serenity Teas) and DJ D.A.N.C.E.

The genius milliner and Harlem Heaven’s Hats owner, Evetta Petty, designed the fascinator from vinyl records. But not any records. She melted Luther’s ‘Give Me The Reason 12 ‘ vinyl, Dionne Warwick’s “House Is Not A Home” 45, and Aretha Franklin’s “Jump To It” 45 into a beautiful flower design.

Evetta, who attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, was inspired by the exuberance of the Poppy Flower for this unique collection. Her hat designs are fierce! “The creative and artistic side of the business is definitely my strength, ” says Evetta.

Harlem’s Heaven designs have been featured in various newspapers and magazines, including Vogue, the New York Times, Crain’s NY, and the New York Daily News, and on Television, including Europe’s “Shop the World” fashion show with David Emanuel.

“We have a very wide range of styles from a classic fedora to a high fashion feather crown Runway style. I sell hats for everyone, for sun protection, for horse race enthusiasts, for church attire, and for when you just want to make a fashion statement,” adds Evetta.

We will share more photos from our Luther Vandross Music & Style celebration next week. 

Evetta Petty partnered with us on Divabetic’s successful diabetes outreach program, Hat Boxing for NYC faith-based. communities. Participants would decorate plain hat boxes with motivational and empowering statements about diabetes self-care.

The Hat Boxing winner’s grand prize was a hat designed by Harlem Heaven’s Hat. 

New York Fashion Week: Meet Hat Designer Evetta Petty

Evetta Petty, the owner and designer of New York City’s Harlem’s Heaven Hats, shares how she stays on track with type 2 diabetes while running a successful small fashion business.

She is known for her big and bold hat pins, and her hats have humor, whimsy, rhythm, and fantasy. Evetta’s motto is, “I’ll make a hat out of anything.” Her hats have captured worldwide attention and have been worn to the Kentucky Derby and Royal Ascot in England.

Evetta designs an extensive line of hats and accessories. She travels to cities like Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, and New Delhi, looking for unusual textiles to create a more global headwear experience.

Her hats have been worn by many celebrities such as Patti LaBelle and Star Jones, and featured on TV shows like Anderson Cooper Live and The View. She has created hats for movies, fashion magazine covers, and editorials such as Essence, Jet, and Italian Vogue, it, Mujer Unica, Vibe, Fashion Affair, and The New York Times.

Get a sneak peek at Evetta Petty’s 30th Year Retrospective Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week and hear how she’s living with type 2 diabetes in style in this video.

New York Fashion Week (NYFW) provides leading designers worldwide with an unrivaled global platform to showcase their collections bi-annually every February and September.

For several years, Harlem’s Heaven and Divabetic partnered on a successful faith-based diabetes outreach program, Hat Boxing. Participants enjoyed a Diva Hat Fashion Show, Guest Speakers and a Hat Boxing Decorating Contest. Competitors entered their decorated hat boxes with messages about diabetes and diabetes self-care to win a crown from Harlem’s Heaven Hat.

Help Us Light the Way During National Diabetes Awareness Month (November)

Approximately 96 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Did you know that over 80% don’t know they have it? Prediabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Join Divabetic’s Blue Candle initiative and encourage your friends, co-workers, and family members to be screened for pre-diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers a quick, easy online Pre-Diabetes risk test.

Prediabetes Risk Test

Be by their side when they check, and share your successes and struggles of living with diabetes so they can see that living well with diabetes is possible.

Coming Soon! Divabetic’s first e-book, Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide to Love and Intimacy with Diabetes, by co-authors Dr. Janis Roszler PhD, LMFT, RDN, CDCES, FAND, and Donna Rice MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES, available on Kindle.