John Boyd was born in Edinburgh in 1925, the youngest of seven siblings. He grew up surrounded by his fashionable sisters and was closest to the eldest, Jessie, a ballet dancer who would later work in his hat shop and whom he cared for until her death in 2014. He remembered as a boy helping his sisters style their hair and accessorise their dresses for dances to make sure they looked their best.

He started his millinery career at the age of 16 with an apprenticeship with the Danish Royal Milliner Aage Thaarup, who was at the time one of London’s most famous milliners.

After taking part in the D-Day landings in WWII, John Boyd used his war time gratuity to open his first tiny hat shop in the Brompton Arcade in Knightsbridge. He slept under his workroom table and worked day and night making his first collection for his friend and fellow Scot, couturier Clive Duncan. At this time in postwar England, rationing was still in force and most women were still wearing hand-me-down hats from their mothers. He often reminisced about having to be inventive with trimmings, taking apart dish scourers and saving every scrap of ribbon and material to create his designs – something most milliners will understand.

Through Thaarup and Duncan, Mr Boyd gained entry to royal circles and started creating designs for Baroness Fermoy, followed by her daughter Frances Shand Kydd, which would eventually lead to his most famous client, Diana, Princess of Wales, Fermoy’s granddaughter. He knew Princess Diana from when she was a ‘wee lassie’ and spoke of her with great fondness. Among the many hats he created for her was her iconic going-away tricorn in peach silk with a dyed ostrich feather.

Mr Boyd’s career continued steadily, and his enthusiasm for hats never diminished. He remained a hugely inspiring figure, passionate about his craft and generous in passing on his skills to a new generation of milliners, many of whom have gone on to establish successful businesses of their own. He was still making hats into his nineties, often arriving at the studio with a bag containing a new creation, ready for the shop. His clients were deeply loyal, and today the business continues to serve successive generations of those families.

John Boyd was appointed an MBE in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to the fashion industry. He died in 2018 aged 92, leaving his business to Sarah Marshall, who continues to run it under his name.

above: John Boyd with his sister Jessie, 1946; and in his workroom, 1970s

A personal reflection - by Sarah Marshall

I first met Mr Boyd when I worked for him in his atelier in the 1980s. I used to wear a baker boy cap, and in his Scottish accent he would joke, “So my dear, are you a wee lassie or a wee laddie?”

He was very open and curious about the new, and I loved hearing stories of his past. Our natures simply clicked. The style of hats we created were very different from each other, and we enjoyed exploring multiple ways of approaching the same idea.

After leaving his employment, we travelled together on many trips abroad, mainly to the Italian factories. We would talk endlessly, often laughing until our sides hurt, and frequently getting lost and missing trains. On one occasion, we sat on a platform in Pisa and missed four trains in succession.

When he was in his nineties and bedbound, I would bring new fabrics to show him. His beautiful working hands would feel the material so tenderly, and his eyes would light up with ideas.

He would always say, “Please call me John, dear,” and I would always reply, “Yes, of course, Mr Boyd.”

Known as one of the nicest men in the industry, he taught me far more than millinery techniques. He showed me that there is strength in softness, that creativity has no age limit, and that being a good human being is more important than anything.