Philip Somerville

Philip Douglas Frank Somerville (12 February 1930 – 14 September 2014) was an English milliner – partly trained in Auckland – who had a salon in London. He is widely known for hats worn by the Queen – from whom he held a Royal Warrant – and Diana, Princess of Wales. He also created headgear worn by two James Bond villainesses. His obituary in The Sunday Times said of his influence on Princess Diana's fashion sense: "he helped to mould her style – and with it the country's taste in hats". Early life and career The son of a shoe repairer, Philip Somerville was born in the Hampshire city of Winchester and educated at St Thomas's School. After a spell in the Merchant Navy, he became an actor in Australia without much success. His family moved from Winchester to Invercargill on the South Island of New Zealand and Somerville joined them there. In 1953, he took a job with Jean Hat Company and then moved on to Star Hat Company in Auckland. In 1961, Star Hat Company sent him back to the UK on a "study holiday", giving him an allowance for his trip. Somerville paid back the money to his employer and joined the milliner Otto Lucas as sales manager and assistant. Own label Somerville began designing hats for the Otto Lucas brand and, after Lucas was killed in 1971 in a plane crash, set up in business for himself. He supplied London stores such as Harrods, as well as exclusive retailers in New York City, before opening his own store in Bond Street for bespoke and private clients in 1987. Later, his premises moved to Chiltern Street, Marylebone.