‘He will be missed by many’: Tributes paid to well-known fashion designer

Tributes have been paid to a well-known designer who has died after a long career in the fashion industry.Peter Lewis-Crown OBE, who was the sole designer and owner of Lachasse, Britain’s oldest couture house, died on August 7 at the age of 94.Growing up, Peter was educated at King Edward VII (KES) School in Lynn, where he took a liking to art and entered every art competition he could find and often won them.

While studying at the school in Lynn, he worked at Marshall’s glassware store in Hunstanton and set up his own studio above the shop, where he made creative gifts from knitted toys to decorated glassware after his artistic skills were acknowledged in the town.He and his sister had a carefree childhood playing on the beach, jumping on the rocks with their poles in front of the cliffs, running free on the dairy farm and taking part in community events such as the annual fancy dress parade.By the end of the war when Peter was 15, he decided he wanted to go into the fashion design route and won a spot at Chelsea School of Commercial Art, which was funded by the Norfolk Education Committee, after moving to London in 1948. He inherited his love of clothes from his mother Margaret, who worked for a dress shop and then as a buyer for a nearby department store.In January 1949, he began work at Lachasse fashion house in the workroom where he was taught the correct way to make a garment from first fitting to final pressing and lining. He also managed to find time to help backstage at the Saville Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue.This experience was like being part of a theatrical club and it gave him inspiration for his work as he was surrounded by colourful costumes and a vibrant atmosphere.Throughout his career, he found himself working alongside Princess Margaret, as well as travelling all over the country to help present fashion shows. Peter was awarded an OBE in June 1998 for his services to the fashion industry and for charitable services.Following his death, his funeral took place on October 3 at St Mary’s Church, Old Hunstanton, where old friends and family gathered including an old friend and Lynn News columnist John Maiden who spent a lot of time with Peter in their early days.John remembers their childhood growing up together.He said: “Peter could only have been 14 years old when he took it upon himself to organise us – much younger children – when it came to collecting wartime ‘salvage’ followed by material for bonfires to celebrate VE (Victory in Europe Day) and VJ (Victory in Japan Day) days in 1945. “He would have made a good teacher, because of his unflustered approach when dealing with enthusiastic, but naturally lively, youngsters across a wide age range.”John also remembers when Peter displayed his creative talents at an early age, he added: “I remember Patsy, my older sister, being impressed by some of the costume jewellery he had made while still at school.“Even then we never thought Peter would one day run his own fashion house in London, and raise some serious money for a wide range of charities.”In spite of adapting so well to his career in the world of fashion, Peter never lost touch with family and friends in Hunstanton. “It was therefore no surprise when he left clear instructions in his will that his funeral should take place at St Mary’s Church in Old Hunstanton,” John added.“It was here that his body was laid to rest, with a bright red carnation on his coffin, placed there by his good friend and fellow fashion designer Marlain Fielding, in recognition of the fact that he always wore this flower in his buttonhole.”In 2022, Peter was interviewed at his home by members of the Hunstanton Society who he “welcomed most warmly into his lovely home and spent a couple of very happy hours hearing firsthand much of his life history”.Stephen Kent from the Hunstanton Society said the group was approached by one of Peter’s nephews who lives in Hunstanton in 2021 to tell them that he wanted to bequeath certain medals and some historically significant documents to the society. Stephen said: “Although the years had taken their toll, his mind was sharp and one could sense he was keen to talk openly about his years as a couturier and his obvious zest for living.“He was also very keen that the younger generation should follow their dreams as he had done and success would surely follow.“We were touched by his friendliness and obtained a strong feeling for his strength of character and organisational ability.“When we heard that Peter had died, we were not surprised that he had arranged for his funeral to take place at St Mary’s, Old Hunstanton, and is now buried in the churchyard there. “His funeral was attended by some relations from Cheltenham and Hunstanton along with some of his friends and one person he had worked with at his fashion house, Lachasse.“We know he will be missed by many and a memorial service is being arranged in London at a later date.”