Leigh Magar
Jennifer Leigh Magar (June 30, 1968 – April 16, 2026) was an American milliner in Charleston, South Carolina, and the owner of Magar Hatworks. She made a range of custom hats from simple fedoras to more elaborate and theatrical ones, such as those worn at the Kentucky Derby.[1][failed verification] Her work was sold at Barneys[2] and Tokyo retailer Isetan. Her husband, Johnny Tucker, is an architect.[3][4]
Magar was born on June 30, 1968. She grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina,[5] and began sculpting in high school. She enrolled in the millinery program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, New York City, where, according to a Food & Wine article, "she financed her studies by working as a live-in housekeeper and assisting Harlem hatmaker Rod Keenan". She moved back to Charleston in 1996. After a while she opened an atelier on upper King Street, producing work for high-end retailers and custom work for locals (and local celebrities like Christina Aguilera and Michael Stipe).[3] She was named women's entrepreneur of 2009 by Country Living.[6][failed verification] She died at the age of 57 on April 16, 2026, in Kauai, Hawaii, from breast cancer.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Gidick, Kinsey (December 1, 2010). "Local milliner Leigh Magar goes Vogue". Charleston City Paper. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010.
- ^ Made in the South Award Winners Dec. 2010 Garden & Gun[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Lee, Matt; Lee, Ted (September 2010). "Party at the Drop of a Hat". Food & Wine. Archived from the original on August 22, 2010.
- ^ "Johnny Tucker". Dwell. Archived from the original on October 3, 2011.
- ^ a b Green, Penelope (May 12, 2026). "Leigh Magar, High-End Milliner Turned Indigo Artist, Dies at 57". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Rains, Valerie. "Leigh Magar, Magar Hatworks". Country Living. Archived from the original on December 22, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011.