Tonya Gross says, “I am thrilled for the opportunity to partner with such a prominent online retailer like Zappos , and so honored by this distinction. As a fledgling designer, it is the “big break” for which I have worked so hard for many years.

The opportunity to present my line of handmade hats to such an esteemed buying team, and for my product to be seen by millions of Zappos   customers, is a boon for my hat business and welcomed attention for the US hat industry.

This is a unique venture in that I will produce handmade hats for a large volume online retailer that are locally produced and will employ a talented pool of resources drawn from the Chicago fashion industry; I am really proud of this.”

From the Zappos Emerging Designer site: "Trend Manager Natasha Pace knows what it can mean to a struggling designer to sell their designs on Zappos.com: ‘We recognize that there is so much undiscovered talent that exists in the fashion industry and we really want to be able to help designers that are at the beginning stages of getting their collection off the ground, to present their designs on a national level,’ said Pace. ‘To me, that’s what makes this program so unique and exciting—we’re helping to make dreams come true.’”

Tonya Gross is an award-winning head wear designer based in Chicago, most recently featured on Bravotv’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Tonya Gross Millinery was launched in 2007, and produces seasonal couture collections for bridal, special event, and evening wear, and casual head wear for men and women.

Zappos is a leading destination in online apparel and footwear sales. The Zappos Emerging Designer Program was developed internally by Zappos employees for up-and-coming fashion designers and initiated in 2011.

Zappos