Behind the story of the little boy who sneaked over to use his mother’s sewing machine is a man who has had a profound effect on famous fashion houses: from Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel to Ralph Lauren, Valentino to Gianni Versace. Making hats not just for his friends, like fashion lover Isabella Blow and designer Alexander McQueen, but also the Royal Family, plus all the clients he has across the world - some formal, others wild and wonderful - it is Philip who describes the hat as "not only an accessory, but a visual indicator." The secret of Philip Treacy’s success is not his connection to fame - although well deserved - it is his extraordinary talent. This is all currently displayed in a large-scale exhibition of his hats at the Erarta Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, which has people queuing round the block to see it.  Produced by Natasha Cowan @tashonfash Edited by Tim Thornton @timwthornton Music by @joergzuber Graphics by Paul Wallis To find Suzy's articles visit https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes  ...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.