On Wednesday I went to the most fantastic lecture by Hand & Lock at the V&A. Hand & Lock are the top bespoke embroiders in London (probably the UK). They did commissions for the Royal Pageant at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. They do traditional ceremonial, couture, fashion and theatre commissions.
Alistair McLeod is their Commercial Director, and Scott Heron is their Head Designer. Alistair McLeod started as a tailor and moved from tailoring to military embroidery, then moved to Hand & Lock. To be successful in this field, you need SKILL, CREATIVITY and TECHNICAL SKILLS. He showed various examples of their work, such as the Beatles Sergeant Pepper uniforms, and Isabella Blow work. He was quite clear that artists design, and embroiders copy. These are different skills. Embroidery makes art permanent. When colour could not be fixed well, embroidery was used to make the design permanent. Crewel embroidery was popular because it did not beat up the fabric. Conveyed a colour design well, without destroying the ground fabric.
Henry VIII had a big impact on embroidery. In 1349 the Black Death reduced London population by 50% and the population of working embroiderers was decimated. Embroidery was important at court to display status. Therefore he started an embroidery workshop in the Tower of London. Pins were very valuable as a tool of a skilled person. Pins tended to only be sold for one or two days of the year, and were quite often given as gifts on 1st or 2nd January for the New Year. Pin money was an allowance given by a husband for a woman's pins. Often formed dowry money for a trousseau. Also most clothes were pinned on, and were made from a single length of cloth.
There were only 4 roles allowed for noble women at court - to sing, dance, sew or embroider. Needle skills were essential at the Tudor court. Women who sewed made functional objects, whereas embroiderers decorated. Mary Queen of Scots had a privileged childhood, Elizabeth I had an appalling childhood (declared illegitimate), and although they did not meet, they both embroidered in line with their status as daughter of the king.
Hand & Lock run an Embroidery Design Prize. Previous winners are Janice Marr 2001; Louise Randall 2002; Joanne Shand 2003; Laura Shambrook 2004; Emma Crinnon 2005; Heidi Turner 2006; Tatiana Pogrebnyak 2007; Maria La Vignia 2008; Beatrice Newman 2009; Lucy Bourreau 2009; Flett Bertram 2010; Beata Kania 2010; Karen Teresi 2011; Sophie Carr 2011; Lena Balsac 2012; Peta Canya 2012; Claire Morris 2013. The judging is done live and visitors are allowed. This award keeps fashion and textile students' work alive and relevant and encourages them to break the rules. It educates about how to judge - which is all about the WOW factor. Entries are accepted for all objects, but tends towards garments. Works take 3-6 seconds to sell. They must be technically good - or end up in the bargain basement.
For the future: Embroidery embellishes surfaces. Garments, furniture or walls. DESIGN IS KEY. UK embroidery controls design and creativity. Embroiders replicate what an artist thinks therefore we need to continue embroidery skills to understand the design needs.
Scott Heron is the Head Designer, graduated from Nottingham Trent University and deals with clients and markets. He said the Diamond Jubilee was an interesting project. Ceremonial context, requiring traditional techniques and lots of goldwork. Not technically possible for a chair with traditional goldwork to be sat in, so therefore lots of silks and applique was used utilising stumpwork, padding and relief. Essential for colours to be correct. Hand & Lock did the embroidery for the thrones and banners. Coronation robes had wheat sheaves and laurel leaves so these were used for the banners on the Royal Barge and were done in applique using padded cloth of gold. It was essential that all aspects of heraldic symbolism were correct, so they worked with the Royal College of Arms.
Scott said his was to take ideas and concepts into embroidery. More than just replicating artwork. Stitch direction was very important and he showed some working designs that were annotated with techniques, colours and stitch directions. This is the preparatory work for 3D effects. The lion's eye used stitches of the same size and style, but the directionality gave the moulding.
Robbie Williams at the Diamond Jubilee concerts work a military themed outfit. He had a monogram of RW on the collar and embroidered ribbons on the cuffs. This was traditional gold work, used in a modern context. He is from Staffordshire, so a staffordshire knot fitted his heritage. Paul McCartney also had a military style outfit with goldwork growns on his buttons and laurel leaves on the cuff and collar.
Hand & Lock have also had a recent commission from the Ulster Defence Regiment. Their banner is a single sheet of fabric, with a double sided design. It is worked vertically with two people sewing using one needle. The needle is passed from one side to the other, to ensure the design is correct on both sides.
Another recent commission is the Gilbert & George chair. Made in goldwork, and very bold and stylised, while being modern at the same time. A chair injecting an artefact with goldwork embroidery. Hand & Lock have also done Prince William's Order of the Thistle ceremonial robes, and had to work with Ede & Ravenscroft to update the wording on the artwork. They made silk pyjamas for Olivia Von Halle - clientele like to be playful. They have made Jimmy Choo's scorpion shoes, and Christopher Cain's Frankenstein shoes, using digital embroidery.
Hand and Lock attend New Designers. This is consumer level embroidery, where embroidery moves from stitch to object.
At the end, I asked Scott who he would choose as a commissioning customer. He would like to work for Damien Hirst, as he pushes boundaries and gets "meaning" into the work in an innovative way. I asked how Hand & Lock use New Designers. For them, it is a reflection on industry; it identifies up and coming designers. They can identify people who might be suitable for Hand & Lock or other creative industries, and do a lot of networking.
One of the best lectures yet. And I told Scott I wished him a creative and profitable career. This surprised and delighted him.
No comments:
Post a Comment