Sarah Marshall is the owner and Creative Director of John Boyd Hats. She worked for John Boyd for over fourteen years, and when he died in 2018 he left her the business to continue in his name.

Sarah studied 3D Design at Falmouth College of Art, where she developed a keen interest in sustainable design, focusing on work which is made by hand and made to last. After several years of training with Rose Cory and working for artist and milliner Jane Corbett, Sarah started at John Boyd Hats as an apprentice, later running the business for Mr Boyd for over ten years.

During this time she designed and made new hat collections which helped invigorate the brand. She encouraged a new younger clientele of women to start wearing hats, and at the same time gained the trust of Mr Boyd’s loyal and long standing clients. She has a deep understanding and respect of this much loved millinery label, and honours Mr Boyd’s style and ethos in her designs as owner and Creative Director of John Boyd Hats.

Sarah is a founding member of The British Hat Guild, for whom she also acts as a mentor to aspiring milliners. John Boyd Hats participates in the Qest scholarship scheme, supporting emerging talented craftspeople, and Sarah occasionally teaches at events such as London Hat Week.

John Boyd Hats are also part of the Ascot Millinery Collective in collaboration with Fenwick.

Legendary Royal milliner John Boyd was born in Edinburgh in 1925. He started his millinery career at the age of 16 working for 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 opened 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. His hats were soon catching the attention of high society ladies and royalty, and by the 1960’s he had become the milliner of choice for the fashionable young Princess Anne.

Princess Diana was first introduced to John Boyd by her grandmother and mother, who were his clients. The pair became close friends and he made many hats for her, including her iconic going away tricorn made in peach silk with a dyed ostrich feather. Over the years the John Boyd label grew from strength to strength and the skill of his work and the care and attention he gave his customers kept generations of families returning to his shop.

He was still making beautiful hats into his 90’s whilst passing on his knowledge and skills to a new generation of milliners, and was delighted when The Duchess of Cambridge started wearing his hats.

Royal milliner 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.