Hats off to city's own milliner

Beijing's 798 Art Zone is known as a hub for galleries, art spaces and independent fashion designers, as well as restaurants and coffee shops, attracting a large number of tourists from home and abroad.

Amid the zone stands a workshop launched by Chinese hatmaker Li Shan, which serves more as a small museum of Li's brand Shine Li, showcasing her hat artistry and craftsmanship.

Li spends much of her time there developing new products. A large glass display case features vintage hat-making tools, including a century-old instrument she brought from Paris, which allows for precise head shape measurements.

Growing up with her grandmother, who was a skillful worker at a shoe and hat factory, Li recalls that she loved observing her grandmother operating the sewing machine, transforming a piece of fabric into a wonderful hat.

"The sound of the sewing machine that my grandmother used is still vivid in my memory. I often fell asleep listening to that sound, which is a rhythmic, steady hum," says Li, who, from a young age, was filled with curiosity about hatmaking. Her parents didn't expect that this little girl would eventually pursue fashion design as her career.

A graduate of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Li, now a top hatmaker in the country, chose to create her own brand in 2009, instead of working for a large fashion company, since she believes that hat design embodies her imagination and pursuit as a designer.

Her designs, from "cat ears" to vintage veils and embellished pieces, reflect her experimental spirit and unique understanding of fashion, which have gained a large fan base and allowed her to become one of the best-selling hat designers of the country. Thanks to celebrities and influencers who wear her hats, such as actress Zhao Liying, singer Li Yuchun and actor-singer Wang Junkai, Li's brand has gained wider exposure in media and on the internet.

"I love using hats as a medium to express my ideas because, from a design perspective, it offers me the most freedom. There's no strict framework dictating what I must do and no right or wrong — just preferences," says Li, who worked at a fashion company right after graduation. The experience allowed her to discover a strong desire and spark to start her own brand. "What I've learned from clothing design has found its outlet here, allowing me to maintain my own aesthetic and sense of fashion, resulting in truly unique creations."

One of the first series that Li released soon after she launched her brand is called "cat ears", inspired by animals. "The position of human beings' ears is quite magical — they don't have much prominence. Unlike animal ears, which express emotions by perking up or flattening down, I wanted to place the hat ears in a more noticeable position rather than where human ears are located," she says. The earliest hat ears were made of metal, giving them a strong character and presence. This product series later became the brand's classic line, reappearing each year in different forms, while the metallic ear design has been a constant feature.

Later, she released a series called "fantasy and forest", which was also inspired by animals. Her design was all black, expressing the mystery of animals and the forest. The series featured the "cat ears" element, combined with different animals, such as tigers and rabbits.

Most of Li's inspirations come from life experiences and personal growth. When she designs, especially hats, she feels a profound sense of freedom and joy, which, as Li says, "is an enjoyment rather than just a task or job". For example, the rabbit series was inspired by a little rabbit she once raised.

A key moment propelling Li's career to success came in 2012 when Li met the purchasing team at SKP Beijing department store — one of the nation's biggest and most productive retailers. It gave the young entrepreneur the opportunity to try entering physical stores. Li's sales performance allowed her to open more offline stores, including in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Though Li later launched livestreaming and runs her online stores, she finds that physical stores allow her to better understand her consumers since they narrow the distance and allow direct contact.

"A hat designer fosters a deep emotional connection with customers by creating pieces that resonate with personal identity and style," says Li. "I've noticed that some women, even if dressed in formal attire, often gravitate toward cute hats in the store. The first hat they pick usually reflects their true self, contrasting sharply with their outward appearance. Some customers align closely with their hats, revealing their inner thoughts through their choices."