Harvy Santos is a modern milliner who creates hats and couture headpieces that fuse traditional techniques with new materials, and timeless elegance with fashion-forward flare. Featuring exquisite details and fine lines, each piece is a unique creation entirely hand made from luxurious materials in his London studio.
Born in the Philippines, Harvy trained as a dancer and joined the professional company of the Hong Kong Ballet for six seasons before moving to the UK to study millinery. He worked for the Royal Ballet & Opera as well as leading British milliners Noel Stewart and Stephen Jones, and has made hats for numerous film and television productions including Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte, Disney’s Snow White and Wicked. His classical training, both on stage and in the workshop, continues to inform his elegantly energetic work.
Winner of multiple awards for his personal work and recognised by the British Fashion Council as part of a new wave of British milliners, Harvy launched his own label in 2014 and has produced twenty-one collections. Harvy's hats are on display in the National Museum of Scotland, were exhibited at the Spielzug Welten Museum in Switzerland and honoured with a major solo exhibition at Portugal’s Museu da Chapelaria in 2018.
Hats from his collections have appeared in glossy magazines around the world and graced many famous heads including Hebe Tien, Bibi Zhou, Isabella Rossellini, Natalie Dormer, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Ncuti Gatwa, Lady Gaga and Cynthia Erivo.
Works for Film, Theatre & TV
Wicked: For Good, Universal 2025
Taj Mahal, Grange Park Opera 2025
Snow White, Disney 2025
Wicked, Universal 2024
Queen Charlotte, Netflix 2023
Bridgerton Season 2, Netflix 2022
Antony & Cleopatra, Costume Design, Theatreworks 2016
Collaborations
Christian Cowan AW26-27 Collection, New York Fashion Week 2026
Daniel Pascal Tanner SS20 Collection, London Fashion Week 2019
Daniel Pascal Tanner AW19-20 Collection, London Fashion Week 2019
Daniel Pascal Tanner SS19 Collection, London Fashion Week 2018
Exhibitions
National Museum of Scotland - permanent/acquisition
Unveiled - The Meissen Edition - London Craft Week, Burlington Arcade, London 2021
Oito Estações - Harvy Santos Egito Seasoms Solo exhibition - Museu Chapelaria, São João da Madeira, Portugal 2018
Hats Off to Hats! Mut zum Hut! - Spielzeug Welten Museum Basel, Switzerland 2018
UNVEILED - THE CRAFT OF MILLINERY - London Craft Week, The Art Workers’ Guild, London, 2018
Royal Ascot Millinery Collective 2017
Royal Ascot Millinery Collective 2015
Commissions
‘Balance’ headpiece for Bibi Zhou Charity Concert, Beijing, China 2017
‘Wataboshi’ headpieces for FT HTSI shoot by Damian Foxe 2017
‘Pandemonium’ & ‘Crane’ for Hebe Tien’s IF PLUS Concert Tour, Hong Kong, China & Taiwan 2016
‘Phleet’ for the last leg of Hebe Tien’s IF PLUS Concert Tour, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 2016
Pink Signature Vagabond hats for Lady Gaga’s ‘Million Reasons’ Music Video 2016
‘Cleopatra’ headpiece for FT HTSI shoot by Damian Foxe 2016
Oversized bows for FT HTSI shoot by Damian Foxe 2016
‘Clarise’, ‘Cyclone’, & ‘Pour’ for the grand finale of China’s Next Top Model, Beijing, China 2015
Awards
British Fashion Council’s Headonism Initiative SS18 017
British Fashion Council’s Headonism Initiative AW17-18 2017
British Fashion Council’s Headonism Initiative SS17 2016
British Fashion Council’s Headonism Initiative AW16-17 2016
British Fashion Council’s Headonism Initiative SS16 2015
The HAT Magazine ‘The Hat Designer of the Year’ - First Place 2013
The HAT Magazine ‘The Hat Designer of the Year’ - Public Vote Prize 2012
Grazia Magazine ‘Hat Factor’ Competition 2012 - First Runner Up
The Worshipful Company of Feltmakers ‘The Hat Design Awards 2011’ - Third Place
Talks & Lectures
The Chanel & King’s Foundation Métier d’Art Millinery Fellowship 2025
Cranial Canopies, Cleantech Innovation, Imperial College 2025
Wire Work, London Craft Week, London 2019
Kensington & Chelsea College, City & Guilds Millinery Design 2015
Kensington & Chelsea College, BTEC Level 2 Millinery Design 2013-2014
Kensington & Chelsea College, Short Course - Occasion Hats 2013-2016
Kensington & Chelsea College, Short Course - Innovative Trimmings 2015
Kensington & Chelsea College, Short Course - Working with Feathers 2014
Kensington & Chelsea College, Short Course - Fabric Hats 2015
Kensington & Chelsea College, Short Course - Veiling and Crin 2014-2016
Employment
Royal Ballet and Opera, 2012-2019
Stephen Jones Millinery, 2012-2014
Noel Stewart Millinery, 2011- 2012
photos: Ira Giorgetti