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Some might argue that the head is more than just a hat rack, but milliner Amy Downs is perfectly content with that description. "The head was made to show off hats," the former theater and film costumer says. Accordingly, her designs, crafted from unusual materials, are created to make heads turn; the designer's flair for drama is perhaps most evident in her plastic-mesh styles that brim with piles of her signature colorful tissue-paper flowers. Since closing her own shop in 2002, Downs' toppers now add extra funk to the quaint Japanese clothing boutique YU, but her designs aren't all just for show: True, the wall display at YU is blanketed with cold-weather styles that one doesn't typically see gliding down the Aspen slopes but black boucle caps come with attached scarf-like ties to warm the neck and overgrown brown plaid fleece cabbies boast Elmer Fudd ear flaps. Downs' designs also may have clients unknowingly tipping their hats to iconic New York people and places since she is inspired by everything from the bakers' hats at Balthazar to local art exhibits. — Molly Noonan

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