Renaissance hat designer flooded with orders

Publish date: 2024-05-07

By Iqra Farooq Newsbeat reporter

Abby Misbin Abby holds the glitterball hatAbby MisbinAbby Misbin creates each of the hats by hand, painstakingly attaching pieces of mirrored glass

An Etsy seller who designed the hat Beyoncé wore to advertise her new tour says she has been flooded with orders.

Abby Misbin, 24, has been selling the glitter ball-inspired cowboy hats on the online marketplace since graduating in 2021.

What originally started as a "side-hustle" went stratospheric after Queen Bey wore the sparkly accessory on her Renaissance tour poster.

Abby, from Philadelphia, in the USA, says she was contacted in early June.

One of the singer's stylists sent her a message that said: "Hi, Abby, need to have for Beyoncé needed by June 9. Where are you located?"

"Honestly, it read like a scam message," she says. "I shouldn't have believed it as quickly as I did."

So Abby replied, the stylist made a few requests for the design, and she got to work.

"I was so worried that the shipping would be delayed or something would happen that I just stayed up all night to finish it," Abby says.

'Guys, look at my Beyoncé hat'

Abby painstakingly creates each of her designs by hand, using tiny squares of mirrored glass - one usually takes about five to six hours to complete, she says.

She says she charged Beyoncé's team $215 for the item, with an extra $60 or so on top for express shipping.

And that was the last she heard, until the hat she'd created made a low-key appearance.

Abby Misbin A closer view of the hatAbby MisbinAbby says each hat takes her about five to six hours to make

"It was just like kind of sneaked into a music video and I figured that was it," says Abby.

"And even that was good enough for me."

Abby took screenshots and posted them on her Instagram story - but her friends weren't convinced.

"Guys, look at the hat I made for Beyoncé," Abby says.

"They all thought it was a big joke."

That was until Beyoncé's own Instagram post announcing her Renaissance tour.

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"Oh my God, it was literally so insane. I thought she was done with it. I had no clue that she included it in the photo shoot. Just knowing it was in her presence is really cool."

And her friends?

"Obviously now they all believe me," says Abby.

Abby's group chats have been blowing up with loved ones sending her screenshots of articles about her hats.

And her order list has also exploded. She's roped in her mum and dad to help, but says she's going to keep her output to about two pieces a day.

Cowboy hats appear to be the must-have accessory for fans who were lucky enough to get tickets to the tour, with thousands wearing them to shows.

While she inspired the trend, Abby hadn't managed to get a ticket when she spoke to Newsbeat.

"I'm a big Beyoncé fan, obviously.

"But the tickets are so hard to get. And if worse comes to worse, I'll stand outside the stadiums with my friends, selling hats."

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