Who is Eric Javits? Details about the accessory designer behind Melania Trump’s boater-style hat

Eric Javits is an American luxury designer who creates hats, accessories, shoes, and handbags specifically designed for women. Eric Javits' name has been floating around the internet for the last 24 hours and the reason behind that is because he designed Melania Trump's hat during the inauguration of President-elect, Donald Trump on January 20, 2025.

Eric Javits opened his first-ever hat shop in 1985 and rose to fame among different celebrities and international stars. Later, Javits introduced the Squishee hat which helps in dealing with melanoma and the sun's damaging rays.

Keep reading to learn more about the boater hat that Mrs. Trump wore on her husband's Inauguration Day.

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Eric Javits' boater-style hat for Melania Trump

Melania Trump is the first lady of the United States since 2025 and the wife of President Donald Trump, who is the 45th and 47th president of the United States of America. All eyes were on her on January 20, 2025, when Trump was being inaugurated as the 47th President of the US.

She wore a navy silk wool coat paired with a navy skirt and an ivory silk crepe blouse. However, what got everyone talking was the hat she donned. Eric Javits, a New York-born designer, designed the boater-style hat.

The last time a first lady of the United States wore a hat to the Inauguration was in 1993 and it was none other than Hillary Clinton. It has been more than three decades since any first lady has done so.

After seeing the hat of Mrs. Trump, this is what Javits had to say:

"It's definitely a huge highlight of my career... So, it's so funny because, in my hands, it looked like a very sort of humble hat. It didn't look like much. And yet, when I saw it on her, it just really came to life and looked beautiful on her."

This was not the first time Melania Trump wore Eric Javits' design. Previously, she had bought a gondolier-style hat from his website.

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The designing process of Melania Trump's Inauguration Day 2025 hat

Eric Javits was sought out by Melania Trump's stylist and designer, Hervé Pierre. Throughout the designing process, Javits communicated only with Pierre and that is how he knew Melania Trump had already bought one of his designs.

Following this, Javits said:

"Then I sent another style from my archive for her to try on that I thought would be very becoming, and she liked that... And those two styles basically became the springboard to develop what she ended up wearing for the inauguration."

Regarding the design and silhouette of the hat, Javits used wooden blocks for the hat's brim and crown. He added,

"And then, from the block, I created the paper pattern for the fabric panels, and I had to block the interlining and from there, you know, put it all together."

This is what Javits had to say when he saw the hat on Mrs. Trump on January 20, 2025:

"It just really speaks to her grace and beauty and presence, that it was such a such a powerful visual statement for the country to see... Since the beginning of my career, I've really focused on making women look their best... And I've tried to come up with shapes that had universal appeal that would flatter even the most challenged faces. And, of course, you know, Mrs. Trump is perfect. She has the ideal bone structure and beauty. So, it didn't take much work to make this all happen."

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The internet is still buzzing around speaking and discussing Melania Trump's choice of outfit and most importantly, the hat designed by Eric Javits.