Ashaka Givens is an American designer, milliner, and multidisciplinary artist whose work explores adornment, ceremony, protection, and transformation. Formally trained in fashion design at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, with additional studies in tailoring and couture techniques in England, Givens brings the precision of couture craftsmanship to the art of handcrafted millinery.

Before dedicating her practice to hats, Givens built a celebrated career in fashion, creating work for artists including Erykah Badu, Common, and Raphael Saadiq. Nearly a decade ago, she returned to a lifelong fascination with millinery, dusting off her vintage hat blocks and embracing a centuries-old craft where fashion, sculpture, craftsmanship, and storytelling converge.

Today, Givens creates handcrafted hats and ceremonial crowns for collectors and cultural figures including Wangechi Mutu, Jill Scott, Nina Chanel Abney, Erika Alexander, Lido Pimienta, and Rapsody, for whom Givens created the custom crown worn on the night she won her first Grammy Award, a milestone she considers one of the defining moments of her millinery journey.

At the heart of her practice is The Ceremony Collection, a body of work inspired by the symbolism of cowrie shells and their enduring connections to African spirituality, femininity, and currency. For Givens, a hat is never simply an accessory. It is a crown. Each piece is created to help the wearer feel adorned, protected, and empowered.

Working from her Brooklyn studio, Givens creates both signature collections and bespoke commissions, from timeless hats and sculptural fascinators to one-of-a-kind ceremonial crowns. Each piece is handcrafted with traditional blocking techniques and thoughtfully sourced natural materials, blending centuries-old craftsmanship with a distinctly contemporary vision.