From selling houses to making hats, Oxford resident Tanna Walker was driven by a newfound passion and now owns Freckled Feather Hats, a hat decorating and styling business, writes Gabbie Burton for the Chester County Press.

Initially working in real estate since 2009, Walker shifted to hat-making two years ago.

Her journey began after a trip to Texas where she styled a hat from the Bollman Hat Company, which is based in her hometown of Adamstown, PA. She started her business using Bollman hats and local, U.S.-made products, emphasizing the importance of fashion sustainability these days.

“This really wasn’t anything I thought I’d be doing,” she said. “Real estate was a great career, but it wasn’t anything I was passionate about. This kind of fell into my life at a good time.”

Walker’s hats feature decorations like feathers, ribbons, leather straps, burns, and charms, often sourced secondhand. She offers custom orders and private parties for hat decoration and is collaborating with Bollman to create a private label, expected by fall.

She also runs Iron Antler Exchange in Christiana, PA., which has been open for about a year and a half. The boutique sells goods from 25 vendors, predominantly women-owned businesses.

Walker is the mother of a 19-year-old daughter, and she values the support of her family in her creative pursuits. She aims to inspire other women to find passion and meaning in their careers, encapsulated in her motto, “Don’t be a lady. Be a legend.”

Read more about Tanna Walker’s Freckled Feather Hats business in the Chester County Press.

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