After attending art school, where he studied painting and sculpture, he became fascinated with the way various forms could flatter and alter the face; he discovered Millinery, a medium that connected his love of art and his interest in fashion. Eric Javits opened his women's hat business in 1985.

Within a few years he became known as the hat designer of choice for the international set, royalty and prominent society ladies as well as those celebrated in the worlds of music, television and film industries. Ten years later he launched the Squishee® hat, a product which he designed and developed in response to changing lifestyle needs and a widespread concern about melanoma and the sun's damaging rays.

In the mid 1990s after having been in business for 17 years, Eric concluded that women would never embrace hats for everyday use, unless they were made of materials that were durable and serviceable. His goal was to change a women's perception that hats are something precious. Straw raw materials available at that time were not sufficiently practical for everyday use, (they were too fragile and heavier ones often splintered). Eric embarked on creating a raw material that was cohesive with a modern woman’s lifestyle. After a year of development, Eric's goal was realized and the result was a straw like material that was lightweight and flexible, which he named Squishee®. A hat made with it could be rolled up for travel and then spring back to its original shape, undamaged. This hat, first introduced in 1995 is now widely recognized as having changed the course of the women's headwear market.

Today the Squishee® concept has evolved into an extensive collection of packable accessories; handbags were added in 1998, coordinating footwear in 2002 and men's headwear for Spring 2017.

It has been said of Eric Javits that he does not just design accessories he celebrates women. The Eric Javits look is instantly recognizable for its down to earth glamour. His trademark is elegance with gentility married to function. Eric's use of advanced fibers and his creative talent have made hat wearing viable for the 21st Century.