Lucy McFadin Has a Hat for Every Occasion

Kayla Curtis-Evans: When did you first discover a passion for your creative endeavors and fashion?

Lucy McFadin: I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember. I have vivid memories of being 6 or 7 and taking over my mom’s closet to host impromptu fashion shows after watching Project Runway with my grandma. That early excitement around getting dressed and experimenting has always stayed with me.

KCE: You’re from California but came to New York for school, and you’ve been here ever since. How do those two different aesthetics inform the way you get dressed every day?

LM: My style definitely changed a lot when I first came to New York, but I still appreciate the laid-back influence of growing up in California. It really changes from day to day, but I’d say it leans feminine and relaxed from my California roots while becoming more playful and eclectic since moving here. I love the juxtaposition and find that my favorite outfits usually land somewhere between the two.

KCE: Aside from the cities you found yourself in, who or what has informed your personal style through the years?

LM: Lots of TV shows and movies! I loved Party Girl, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Simple Life, Sex and the City (of course), and Buffalo ’66. I have to say, though, some of the best style inspiration comes from good old-fashioned people-watching. I’m constantly inspired by seeing how people dress and move through their everyday lives.

KCE: Your personal style is so you. Just a scroll through your socials reveals some of the elements you lean toward — mini dresses or skirts, neons, a chic ballet flat. What would you say are some cornerstones of your personal style?

LM: I love to play around with color, as you said! Unapologetically a pink lover. I’d say some form of high/low mixing is always a cornerstone for me too. A good zip-up, low-rise raw denim, silly vintage graphic tees, tiny skirts, and of course, headwear. I love playing with proportions and pairing things that feel slightly at odds with one another. I think my favorite outfits always have one element that feels a little unexpected or cheeky.

KCE: You wear many hats as a creator, model, stylist — but you also literally wear a lot of hats. What is the key to properly accessorizing an outfit?

LM: For me, the key is making the accessory a focal point and building the look around it. Accessories may be what ultimately pulls an outfit together, but I often find it easier to start there and bring in the other elements to complement its tone. It gives me a direction to work from, while still allowing the accessory to be that finishing touch.

KCE: You’re now channeling that love for accessories and fashion into your own brand: Ditsy Headwear. How did the idea come to you to start a headwear brand?

LM: Ditsy stemmed from a genuine love for headwear that I’ve had since childhood. As I’ve gotten older and my collection has expanded, I began to notice not only a lack of brands in the space, but specific silhouettes missing from my own wardrobe. Headwear has evolved so much over the last century, from the way it’s marketed to its function and design, and somewhere along the way it became less integral to the way we get dressed. With Ditsy, I want to revive some of that significance while making headwear feel more approachable for those who may be newer to the accessory.

KCE: What inspired the name of your brand?

LM: Of course, there’s the more obvious meaning, with “ditsy” having a connotation of absent-mindedness and headwear being something that goes around the head. But to me, it’s more about reclaiming the word Ditsy itself. I’ve never really understood the bad reputation it’s received. As someone who always has her eggs in many different baskets, I often have a million ideas and thoughts firing off at once, which can easily be perceived as scatterbrained. I think it’s something a lot of creative people experience — like you can never fully turn your brain off. More often than not, it’s women who get called ditsy, as if being a little scattered or silly somehow means you can’t also be thoughtful, ambitious, and capable. I like the idea of reclaiming that contradiction and celebrating the creativity and individuality behind it.

KCE: Who do you envision as the Ditsy girl? What does she do on her day to day, and how would you describe her?

LM: The Ditsy girl is busy, but somehow makes it look effortless. She’s ambitious, curious, social, and has a strong sense of self. She might be running around all day working, meet a friend for a drink after, and somehow end up out much later than she planned. She appreciates fashion but isn’t necessarily dictated by trends. She knows what she likes and has an instinctive way of making things her own. More than anything, I think there’s a certain magnetism to her. She’s the kind of person you notice and want to know more about.

KCE: You’re just getting started, but do you ever have plans to expand beyond headwear? How do you hope the brand grows and evolves within the next year?

LM: At the moment, my main focus is headwear and head accessories, but never say never! I’m really taking it day by day. Ditsy has been such a project of passion for me, and more than anything, my priority is to create products I feel genuinely proud of and fulfilled by. Over the next year, I’m excited to start working on our next drop, host more in-person events, see Ditsy out in the world, meet the community that forms around it, and continue expanding the Ditsy universe. I have so many ideas for where it could go, but I also want to give the brand the space to evolve naturally.