Behida Dolic is a Bosnian-born designer and milliner based in New York. She grew up in Dabravine, a small village of kilim weavers and furniture builders, where "handmade" was a way of life. Behida fled the Bosnian War in 1998 and relocated to the United States. After adjusting to her new life, language and culture, she went on to study art at SACI in Florence, Italy, and at the San Francisco Art Institute. Eventually, she discovered and fell in love with millinery—to her, a perfect fusion of expressive and handcrafted art. “What I love most about hats are the details. Every little aesthetic choice contributes to the wearer’s style and personality,” she says.

Entirely self taught and with limited funds, Behida began her millinery business in San Francisco with only one balsa wood block and few millinery tools. As a result, she relied on her resourcefulness and creativity, blazing her own path in order to execute her ideas and grow as an artist and an entrepreneur.
Today, Behida’s six-year-old brick-and-mortar millinery shop, located on historic Warren Street in Hudson, NY, is thriving. In addition, her hats are carried in high-end stores in the Hamptons and Seoul, Korea. She has collaborated with Alexis Bittar on trunk shows in Manhattan and Boston, and has developed a large online following of socialites, artists, editors, celebrities and designers.

Behida’s hats are completely handmade in the workshop attached to her store. With the help of interns and assistants, her business continues to grow. “It started with a dream and a passion to make a living as an artist,” she says. “My siblings and I come from a place where most women don’t have any education, let alone the ability to make their living as artists or business owners. I was determined to change the course of my life. With persistence and hard work, I’m proud to say that I spend each and every day doing something that I love. The best part is, it’s my career.”