Meet Diana Cavagnaro
"My advice for other young women is that they get an internship or job working for someone who runs a business similar to the career they would like. This way they will have a better idea if this is really what they want to do before they spend any time or money starting a business."
My Story
"A work of art that happens to be worn on your head" is the best way to describe the creations of master milliner Professor Diana Cavagnaro.
Diana is a national celebrity whose credits include numerous appearances on television, as well as articles in newspapers and magazines discussing the Art of Millinery, Fashion, and Hat Making. Diana’s creations have adorned the heads of many stars, celebrities, and socialites. Many of her designs are made for her customers who attend the Kentucky Derby, the Royal Ascot and Dubai. In her 28 years in the hat business Diana has gained a wealth of knowledge, which she shares with the hundreds of students who come from all over the United States to study millinery with her. She has produced a series of instructional videos on hat making. Diana learned hat making when she served as assistant milliner at the Old Globe Theatre. Then she struck out on her own, specializing in women’s custom hats. In 1999 Diana was the recipient of the ABC Channel 10 Leadership Award for her work with cancer patients and in 2003 she received the “Look Good Feel Better” California Division Sunrise Award and the Fashion Group International’s Fashion Industry Style Award.
Diana became part of an elite group when she received the Look Good…Feel Better (LGFB) National “Sunrise Award”. The award was presented in 2003. This program gives a free service to women undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Diana received this prestigious award as the volunteer who most exhibited outstanding dedication and commitment to the program.
In 2011 The Gaslamp Quarter Association gave Diana the Armond Award for Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented by Councilmen Kevin Faulconer for her countless hours working to make the Gaslamp Quarter a special place. Diana is also a journalist, for the past sixteen years she has written “Fashion Files”, a column for the San Diego Downtown News and La Jolla Village News as well a numerous articles for Threads Magazine, FINE Magazine, the San Diego Downtown News and the La Jolla Village News. Diana is currently an active member of The Fashion Group International® of San Diego, Inc. and of the Gaslamp Quarter Association.
Written by Decor & Style Magazine
