WHILE buying up supplies for her new hat shop, designer Marie Flanagan came across a collection of hat blocks and trimmings from the workshop of royal milliner Philip Somerville.

“They were so gorgeous that I just had to have them. So I got out my credit card,” she says.

Today the hat blocks reside in the workshop of her newly-opened Lindley showroom, which displays hats on millinery mannequins that were last used by Philip Somerville. The feted designer made hats for the rich and famous – everyone from Kylie Minogue to Joan Collins – as well as members of the royal family.

One of the hat blocks is of the distinctive style favoured by the Queen Mother, while another was created for a novelty Grace Jones fascinator. Some date from the 1950s and have a vintage appeal that is currently so fashionable.

Philip Somerville, now retired, created hats for all the major royal figures, including the Queen and Princess Diana. As well as acquiring a collection of blocks (from which hats are shaped) Marie also bought a small number of his hats, which she is selling for up to £500.

However, the majority of her hats and fascinators are custom designed and hand crafted in the tradition of a bygone age. “It is my aim to create a French-style salon, where women can come and be made to feel special,” said Marie.

“A lot of people these days don’t wear hats because they say they don’t suit them. But there is a hat for everyone, a style that suits them. I get women to sit down and try lots of hats on and they’re often surprised,” she explained.

Marie, who lives in Crosland Moor, originally trained as a textile and embroidery artist at Goldsmith’s School of Art in London and went into teaching.

But after moving to Huddersfield 25 years ago to raise her family, she left the arts and embarked on a new career path entirely, teaching adult returners to education at Calder College in Halifax.

This led to a counselling course and a job at Huddersfield University as a student counsellor and trainer.

Latterly, Marie moved into social services and the advocacy service in Calderdale, helping people with mental health problems – a far cry from her artistic beginnings.

A woman of many talents and facets, Marie also has connections with the professional theatre. She was a member of the Playback Theatre, York, for 12 years and three years ago left her job to work alongside a London-based comedian. “We were writing a show to take to the Edinburgh Festival,” she said, “and then my back went, and that was that.

“I’ve since had two spinal operations to remove damaged discs,” she said.

It was time to consider another change of direction.

Marie decided that she’d like to return to her creative roots and became one of the last students on the acclaimed millinery course at Huddersfield Technical College (which ended when the college closed down its creative crafts department) and is still studying with designer Sharon Bainbridge at The Manse in Huddersfield.

“I’ve always had a thing for hats. You can wear them on a bad hair day or when the weather is bad. When I was thinking about setting up a millinery business I looked for something different and I liked the idea of couture, combining my textile knowledge and my training in embroidery.

“At college we studied ecclesiastical embroidery with gold work and silver work. I have taken that into my couture hats, which are embellished with gold and silver threads and beaded,” said Marie, who also creates bridal headdresses.

It’s a fair bet that most women have little idea of how hats are made. Marie says customers are often surprised when they see her workshop with its collection of heavy wooden hat blocks around which fabric is stretched, steamed and shaped.

“It’s a very labour intensive process,” says Marie, “it can take two weeks to make one hat.”

“I get women to try hats so that we can find the basic shape that suits them; then they might bring me some samples of fabric from a dress and we’ll choose trimmings to match,” she explained.

Bespoke hats range from £150 to £250.

Marie opened her Lidget Street shop a few weeks ago but, unfortunately, had to close almost immediately when her back ‘went’ again, necessitating her second operation.

But back at work and on the road to recovery, Marie is soon to be joined by daughter, Molly Bunce, who also has a background in textiles and is studying millinery. (Her other daughter, Megan, followed her into counselling and social work).

In fact, Marie Flanagan Couture Millinery is a real family business. “My husband, who is a builder, did the shop fitting,” said Marie. “He’s been really supportive.”

Marie’s millinery creations can also be seen at an exhibition in the Bankfield Museum, Halifax, alongside those of her fellow Creative Skills students and designer Sharon Bainbridge.

The exhibition, ‘Millinery Miscellany’ closes on September 6.