Experience

Closely Crafted

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Founder and Executive Chair Woman of Closely Crafted

  • Jul 2022 - Present

  Closely Crafted was founded by milliner and accessory designer Gigi Burris O’Hara in 2022. Burris O’Hara established the non-profit organization during the pandemic after witnessing firsthand how many of her local N.Y.C.-based factories closed, resulting in a loss of jobs for a talented workforce, many of whom were immigrants. Burris O’Hara, who relies on some of these skilled workers to help her preserve the craft of millinery, was particularly disheartened when the 30-year-old Bantam leather factory, a local institution, closed in 2021. Salvaging the multi-generational knowledge about the art of craft was another impetus for starting Closely Crafted. By engaging a network built over years of working in the industry, Burris O’Hara has rallied a like-minded community of American designers, retailers, and stakeholders to support Closely Crafted’s initiatives. The organization is influenced by European standards where artisan equity is celebrated, consumers invest in locally crafted luxury goods, and savoir-faire is respected. Closely Crafted is as much about saving craft in America as it is about making fashion more sustainable and establishing economic stability. Show less



Gigi Burris Millinery

• Design Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Founder

  • Oct 2012 - Present

  Founder of New York based luxury accessories brand Gigi Burris Millinery Founder of New York based luxury accessories brand Gigi Burris Millinery



Dennis Basso

• United States
• Apparel & Fashion
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Design Assistant (free-lance)

  • Mar 2010 - May 2011

  Assistant to Creative Director. Individual focus on design of full range hat collection consisting of both fur and exotic skin. Assistant to Creative Director. Individual focus on design of full range hat collection consisting of both fur and exotic skin.



Leah C Couture Millinery

• United States
• Retail Apparel and Fashion

• Apprentice

  • May 2008 - Sep 2008

  Worked directly with designer in conception, production, marketing and sales. · Organized inventory of trimmings, materials, and past collections. · Assembled head-pieces with traditional couture techniques. · Created custom runway pieces for high-end international designers. Worked directly with designer in conception, production, marketing and sales. · Organized inventory of trimmings, materials, and past collections. · Assembled head-pieces with traditional couture techniques. · Created custom runway pieces for high-end international designers.