Frances Grey Millinery | Welcome to Frances Grey, a luxury millinery brand handcrafted in New York. We design and create custom hats to your head size and personal style. No two hats are the same… thats what makes each creation special!

Every design embodies simplicity and timeless sophistication. 

Debbie, who is of Jamaican descent, was born and raised in a vibrant section of Queens, a borough of New York City that is energized by Caribbean heritage and spirit. This environment greatly informed her personal style and her inspiration as a designer today.

After marrying young and raising three children, Debbie divorced and began to blaze her own trail, traveling the world and going back to school to pursue and complete a Master’s Degree in Social Work. After receiving her graduate degree, she began fulfilling work with organizations for social good, supporting women, children and seniors. Not one to rest on her laurels, Debbie simultaneously enrolled in New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology’s millinery program to pursue another passion, cultivate her curiosity, and learn how to develop her design ideas. This creative energy awakened her love of textiles, color, fashion and hats. These experiences imbued her with confidence, purpose, and a sense of self-worth, which would later become the platform she needed to launch her own business.

“Destiny is already written.”

Years prior to starting her own company, Debbie found her great grandmother’s passport and knew it meant something special. The unique signature style on her travel documents, accompanied by a family picture as her photo identification, inspired Debbie to learn more about her and the life she led.

That woman, Frances Grey, a seamstress from the beautiful island of Jamaica, would become the inspiration and namesake of this new line and woman-run business.

Frances Grey Millinery