Gladys Tamez
Gladys Tamez (born in McAllen, Texas) is a Mexican-American haute couture milliner or hat designer. She is considered a preeminent milliner and arguably the most famous in America. She founded her eponymously named Gladys Tamez Millinery or "GTM" in Los Angeles in 2012. Tamez is listed in Forbes Magazine as one of the most creative Mexicans in the world. Her sculptural hats have graced the covers of Assouline, and she is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Early life Born in McAllen, Texas, Tamez was raised inside of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Monterrey, Mexico, in a family of Taurina bullfighters. Her mother, Elizabeth Tamez, owned a local bookstore called Tivoli, and at 10, she was reading Vogue. Tamez attended art school in Florence, Italy, where her initial designs were created. While traveling in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, Tamez discovered a small hat shop run by four generations of milliners that inspired her to focus on hat design. Hat design inspiration Her creations are inspired by a range of sources from the Studio 54 era in New York City with Bianca Jagger and Cher, the architecture of John Lautner, and Mexican film stars Dolores del Río and María Félix.