A Ski Bum Living In a Basement Now Sells Her Custom Hats for $350— The Incredible Texas Rise Of Magnolia Mercantile’s Katie Monsen

A great hat tells a great story, and Katie Monsen is in the business of storytelling. The Woodlands’ Jo Malone London store recently hosted a Magnolia Mercantile pop-up, offering shoppers the chance to create bespoke custom hats with vintage accessories. Monsen, the creative force behind Magnolia Mercantile, scours Texas for unique scarves, pins and embellishments to craft one-of-a-kind designs. 

The Magnolia Mercantile event was part of Jo Malone’s initiative to support women entrepreneurs. Previous events featured Houston-based jewelry designer Susana Vega and fashion designer Nadia Schwab.

Jo Malone’s Nadia Gill first spotted Monsen at another event. She immediately knew she wanted to feature her work in the boutique’s entrepreneur series.

“Spring in Houston is rodeo season,” Gill says. “Katie was the perfect fit.”

A Hat Business Born from Necessity

Monsen’s journey into hat-making began unexpectedly. Four years ago, while living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, she was working as a ski bum and barely scraping by. 

“I was dirt poor, living in my boss’s basement,” Monsen says. “I wanted a hat, and I couldn’t afford one. So I made one myself. Then a friend wanted one.”

Three years ago, she moved back to Texas. That’s when Magnolia Mercantile truly took shape.

“I got an Instagram account and opened my storefront,” Monsen says. “Then I started doing pop-ups, traveling every weekend to new places across Texas.”

Monsen doesn’t make the hats themselves. Instead, she sources them from a family-run Dallas hat maker. She focuses on customization, transforming each piece into a personal work of art.

While pop-ups are critical to her business (she’s averaged two per day for the past few weeks), this one-woman show also has a River Oaks shop. The shop is a treasure trove of vintage pins, brooches, ribbons and silks, all ready to accessorize any hat in the store. A custom hat costs $350, which includes a 50-minute customization appointment and unlimited embellishments.

“I’ll talk with you to see what you like,” Monsen says. “It’s a collaborative effort. I have over 100 branding irons, zodiac signs and an entire alphabet. I’ve got layers of ribbons and silks and all the textures you want to build the perfect band.”

Traditional Texas fashion law says your hat should match your boots. But Monsen believes some rules are made to be broken.

“I tell you the rules, and you can break them,” Monsen says. “When you look good and feel good, the rules don’t matter as much.”

Jo Malone’s female entrepreneur series will continue this summer at Market Street, bringing more creative woman-run businesses into the spotlight.

For more information or to book your own customization appointment at Magnolia Mercantile, go here.