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Hawthorne and Heaney Explores the Online V&A Museum Exhibition – Schiaparelli and Surrealism

February 17, 2021 by Intern

With London being placed into tier 4 and the closure of all things deemed as non-essential, I decided to explore some of the virtual exhibitions available online and came across the Schiaparelli and Surrealism collection displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer who challenged the concepts of dressing, playing with silhouettes and traditional tailoring. She was heavily influenced by the Surrealism movement and the Surrealist artists of the time such as Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, Man Ray and Bebe Barnard.

Surrealism is an avant-garde movement introduced in the 20th century that was heavily influenced out of the Dada movement. Its focus was to release the imagination of our unconscious mind, by juxtaposing images and ideas. With the freedom of the movement and the collaboration with artists and photographers, she stretched her creative boundaries, creating unique fashion statements.

Evening Coat- 1937 Elsa Schiaparelli and Jean Cocteau

This dark blue silk jersey evening coat was a collaboration with Jean Cocteau, who drew the facial features positioned on the centre back of the coat. Cocteau was obsessed with the effect of double imagery, as did many of the other surrealist artists. Looking closely at the artwork on the back at a first glance, you wouldn’t spot the vase shape containing pretty pink gradient ribbon roses. Instead, the focus would be on the facial forms. The beautiful gold embroidery detailing helps to distinguish both of the shapes as well as adding the glamour and luxury to the tailored coat.

Tear Dress – 1938 Elsa Schiaparelli

I’m sure you will find this dress stunning and intriguing too with the use of colour and print replicating rips and tears to mimic torn flesh. An idea that appeared on women in Dali’s paintings. The veil has the same effect also, however, includes an appliqued fuchsia chiffon underneath the cream fabric. A good contrast to the abstract print. It makes the viewer look into the work and use their imagination to understand the reasoning behind the idea and the design.

Skeletal Dress- 1938 Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali

Skeleton dress was the most significant garment creation in the collection made with black crêpe sheath and a raised skeletal form using the trupunto technique. The technique involves adding wadding into the back of the fabric after stitching a shape, forming a raised platform on top of the surface. Adding in hooks to link the bones together such as the leg connecting to the pelvis, added a style included in jewellery. The design itself, was sketched by Dali.

Velvet High Heel Hat 1937-38 Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali

One of my favourite pieces of this collection, was the velvet high heel hat, part of the Autumn/Winter 1937-1938 collection. I liked the way the hat has been thoughtfully positioned on top of the head with the bottom of the shoe face upwards. The idea came from a photo of Salvador Dali with a shoe belonging to his wife, placed on his shoulder. This influenced other ideas to come, placing unusual found objects on the head in three-dimensional structures. One of her other hat creations consisted of a lamb chop meticulously placed above the head to match the design featured on the summer jacket of 1938.

It has been a great way to view and revisit some of the fantastic artwork available online. Google Arts and culture have a vast selection of exhibits that are free and not just from the UK, but also some located all around the world. Worth checking it out.

Words written Jessica Westley

Photo’s sourced from Google Arts and Culture- V&A online exhibition

(This was written before the national lockdown)

Hawthorne & Heaney: Lord Justice Nugee Covid Style Icon

February 4, 2021 by Natasha Searls-Punter

It would seem that our recent project for Lord Justice Nugee has caught the imagination of the public as we find ourselves in a flurry of interest in the project and piece. We have found ourselves published and quoted in a variety of sources such as ‘The Times Diary’ , Scottish Legal News and ‘Legal Cheek’.

This was a really fun and inventive project for us to work on and we are delighted that some many people seem to appreciate the work that went into it. If you fancy seeing more about the making of this project you can watch a video about its creation on our sister companies youtube channel.

If you would like to get in touch with us about your own, similar project, let us know and we can see what we can make for you too- info@embroidery.london

Hawthorne and Heaney takes a look at Uniqlo, Tate Lates: Night in

February 1, 2021 by Sophie Reynolds

During 2020, Uniqlo Tate Lates: Night In, brought a free online programme filled with artist talks, workshops, DJ sets, film and more. To keep us entertained this winter, Tate have re-realised three of the workshops that we can take part in at home.

These include creating your own mural at home with Lakwena, creating a zeen with the RIOT SOUP collective, and painting with Ashton Attzs.

00:16 Create Statement Artworks with Lakwena

Example of a mural by Lakwena

Lakwena is London-based artist who creates murals that reference elements of popular culture and using art as a form of meditation.

Her work, primarily text-based, employs a combination of words, pattern and acid-bright colour to subtly subvert prevailing mythologies. Her use of text and image re-appropriates the powerful and monumental visual language and lyrical mythologising of commercial advertising billboards and is informed by decoration both aesthetically and conceptually.

Interested in the role of the artist as mythmaker, Lakwena explores how this translates into contemporary popular culture. Concerned with the significance of how and who we decorate, and what this reflects about our values and beliefs, Lakwena positions kaleidoscopic colours, bold pattern and adornment as powerful signifiers to redefine and reassign value and glory. (Jealousgallery.co.uk)

In lockdown she has been painting her home with the aim of creating a space of meditation and relaxation. But also to create a feeling of protection, empowerment and healing.

Paintings created in her home during lockdown

Because we may not be able to, or perhaps don’t have the confidence, to paint straight onto our walls, Lakwena shows a technique whereby she paints magnetic paint onto the walls of her children’s bedroom and creates cardboard stencil lettering and shapes to then adhere to the walls. Creating instantly visually impacting decoration that is full of creativity and unqiue to you.

Screenshot of Tate Lates project

09:58 DIY Zines with RIOT SOUP Collective

Riot Soup Collective

RIOT SOUP is an art collective for women of colour, running monthly socials, curating exhibitions and hosting workshops. The 12 strong group is made up of Black African, Caribbean, South East Asian and Middle Eastern women artists, after their founder Asma Istwani failed to find a creative group that encompassed her needs as both a woman artist and person of colour.

She needed a space to create and grow as an artist but one where her experience and difference as a second generation Middle Eastern woman would be noticed, heard and valued as opposed to something that had to be diluted or cast aside in order to fit in. This fact, as well as the desire to see more women artists of colour represented in the visual art scene spurred a call out on various online sites to see if others would join her in the quest to create a community of like minded women and seize control of the narrative surrounding WOC, all the while seeing to their need of visibility within the artworld. (shado-mag.com/)

Screenshot of Tate Lates project

Founder Asma, a collage artist, and her sister Salma, a painter and collage artist, run through a workshop on tips for making your own Zeen using basic tools and papers to create something both visually stimulating and unique to them.

Tips include how to use negative space, colour blocking, adding/layering with drawings and paint, using type, and so on.

The video is starting point with all the inspiration you need to go off and create your own take on a zeen.

19:49 Nurturing Black Joy: Painting with Ashton Attzs

The last workshop is by Ashton Attzs, an illustrator and painter who creates bold, and colourful imagery. Her aim is to establish a balance between being political and joyful. Attzs is a London based painter and poet who wants to share her passion for painting, not only as a visual means of joy but for a cathartic practice. They take great great interest in capturing aspects of quotidian life as well as a personal exploration of queer and POC idenitity.

Stay in YA lane, Ashton Attzs

The workshop is aimed to reach out and give people that need support, more joy and a little pick me up in these hard times, dedicates her work to queer, black people. “Regardless of who you are, there is joy to be had in this workshop” (Ashton Attzs).

She goes through the progress of what materials you need to make a painting of your own, with the inspiration being not what the painting depicts as the focus but who you can share it with and the connections that may follow.

Screenshot of Tate Lates project

The video is not only full of great tips and techniques that you can use to create your own artwork. But even if you do not end up painting yourself, even just watching the video I found meditative and relaxing.

If you need any inspiration for some fun and creative projects, Tate Late is a great place to start!

Words written by Sophie Reynolds

Images sourced from Google Images and Tate Lates: Night in

Hawthorne and Heaney explore the online Vivienne Westwood: Politics and Fashion exhibition

January 21, 2021 by Intern

With the new National Lockdown measures put into place with the message to stay at home, it has given the perfect opportunity to search for art exhibitions online, exploring work displayed all over the world by various designers. I came across Vivienne Westwood: Politics and Fashion online exhibition by the British Fashion Council.

Vivienne Westwood is one of the most recognised women in fashion, known for her positive activism approach to her collections, displaying issues and disasters happening in the world today. She started designing in 1971 with her partner at the time, Malcolm McLaren in their shop located on the Kings Road, London. It became one of the most desired shops of the time, defining the street culture of Punk and Seditionaries. With the change of fashion over time, Westwood decided to turn to traditional Savile Row tailoring techniques, introducing her own flair and style to garments.

Vivienne Westwood climate change protest outside London Fashion Week

Westwood has spent years speaking out about climate change and the overconsumption of resources that are damaging the planet we live on. She supports charities such as Cool Earth and the environmental Justice Foundation. Her 2016 Spring/ Summer Collection ‘Mirror the World’ campaigned climate change well, using the challenges faced in modern-day Venice and using it as a mirror to show the world what we are all causing.

‘Mirror the World’ Spring/Summer 2016 Collection by Vivienne Westwood

The collection exploited the problems in Venice which include the lack of repair, mass tourism, cruise ships and overall climate change. With Venice being an ‘emporium of culture,’ Westwood used this with the reference to carnivals in a way that people dress and disguise themselves from their own identity and the life they may lead, linking back to the primitive era. Similarly, we are hiding away and masking the negative problems that affect the world.

‘Mirror the World’ Spring/Summer 2016 Collection by Vivienne Westwood

Watching the collection catwalk there were constant links made to nature and the environment in the choice of fabrics, clashing prints and slogans. There were some very interesting material choices used to create structure, shapes giving tailored looks which some may find risky to wear. Some of the pieces had added accessories which looked like they were sourced from emporiums and vintage stores. They were reformed to add bling and express the idea that old things can be reused to make something new. The hair and make-up complemented the looks well, both being conceptual and emphasising cracked or broken mirrors, expressing and exposing the ever-growing damage.

‘Mirror the World’ Spring/Summer 2016 Collection by Vivienne Westwood

Looking through this exhibit, it has opened my eyes to the destruction we all contributing to climate change. It’s interesting to see how Vivienne Westwood portrays these issues and the way she feels so well through her garment structures, fabric choices and accessories. It is extremely important at this moment in time to consider how we can do our bit to slow down damage to our planet, whether that be recycling, choosing alternative travel options or upcycling old clothes. This exhibition was available on Google Arts and Culture, where there are a huge variety of displays which are free to view and definitely worth looking at.

Words written by Jessica Westley

Photo’s sourced from Google Arts and Culture – British Fashion Council (Vivienne Westwood Exhibit)

Hawthorne & Heaney on The Marketplace

December 28, 2020 by Natasha Searls-Punter

Hawthorne & Heaney Personalisation booth in action

2020 has been a wierd year, for the past few years we have got into a rhythm that by the time about October comes, we will be doing a lot of monogramming and personalisation events. However this year, that didnt happen.

Kirk Original Glasses against a backdrop of Millie Bridget Henry Hankies and Tyler & Tyler Accessories

We could not just sit idly by though and not have an event, so we created one for ourselves. Along with a whole host of fabulous creators, we joined togather in the Service on Savile Row to create The Marketplace.

The Workers club gloves, Back Yard Gym Cold Brew and Coffee Beans from the Fresh Coffee Company, Wool Scarf from Dugdale Bros. and Co, Handkerchief by Millie Bridget Henry in a Hawthorne & Heaney Personalised Bag

Cad and the Dandy, Baron bags, Dugdale Bros and Co.,the Fresh Coffee Company, Kirk Originals, The Workers Club, Tyler & Tyler, Department Two, Kibble Watches, Tsai x Tsai, Millie Bridget Henry, Gotrich & Co. , Gownsmith, Colhays and Hawthorne & Heaney created a bespoke and specialist style items one stop shop. Curated to bring together hankerchieves, small batch roasted coffee beans, dressing gowns, glasses frames and personalised bags to name but a few, the Marketplace was a treasure trove of beautiful, unusual, crafted gifts.

Cad & the Dandy jackets, Millie Bridget Henry Hankies, Kirk Original Glasses

Sadly with the rerestricting of London going into tier 4, the marketplace is now closedbut we had great (safe) fun whilst we could- which feels like the whole of 2020 summed up dont you think?

Coffee Beans from the Fresh Coffee Company, Wool Scarf from Dugdale Bros. and Co, Handkerchief by Millie Bridget Henry in a Hawthorne & Heaney Personalised Bag

So if you’re think about next year and want to hold an event, get in touch, we’d love to hear from you and are raring to get out there (socially distanced of course)

Hawthorne and Heaney Visits the Summer Exhibition At The Royal Academy of Arts

December 21, 2020 by Intern

On the 10th of December, I had the exciting opportunity to visit the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2020, located just down the road from Savile Row. Due to the current climate with unprecedented challenges and not wanting to miss its 252nd anniversary, the event was postponed to the winter months for the first ever time.

Coordinated by Jane and Louise Wilson, the exhibition supports the exchange of ideas and experiences from any background, shaping cultural conversation to art that we love, hate and smile to. The displays contain over 1,000 pieces of work displayed in 13 rooms ranging from paintings to sculptures to digital art.

Vincent’s Ear by Conrad Atkinson, Shrinking Violet by Ed Mays, Outdoor Minor by Simon Periton

Upon entering Gallery 1, I was surrounded by expressive paintings, textual line drawings put together by Isaac Julien. In the centre of the room stood an installation called Air Kid by Yinka Shonibare. The sculpture is one of 4 in a collection called ‘Earth Kids’, that fights for climate justice illustrating the difficulty of the natural world. Climate change is such a threatening crisis of our time, with sea levels rising, increased temperatures and extinction of many species. It’s important to make people understand the damage and negative effects their actions are having on the planet, a philosophical objective in Isaac Julien’s style of work to make us reflect and visualise.

Air Kid by Yinka Shonibare

One of the pieces that intrigued me the most was the Inter-Concreto sculpture designed by David Batchelor, located in the Large Weston Room. The layering of the coloured geometric grids and multidirectional positionings is similar to the abstract way I like to work when undertaking my own multimedia textiles projects. His work looks at how we analyse and react to colour and hues in this current digital age through hypnotic patterns and shapes. These sculptural installations are made with a variation of industrial material scraps as well as recycled or broken domestic items. In this day and age, I believe it is imperative to reuse and upcycle discarded and unwanted objects to reduce the amount of plastic and landfill constantly entering our oceans. Everything has the potential to be made into something with another form or purpose.

Inter-Concreto by David Batchelor

There was a common theme amongst some of the galleries that reflected the year we have all lived through, learnt and educated ourselves to a brand-new way of life during a pandemic. Gallery 4 curated by Sonya Boyce, portrayed this theme well with mass paintings, photographs and a video named ‘Twice’ by John Smith, who demonstrates how to wash your hands thoroughly whilst singing Happy Birthday through twice.

Twice by John Smith

The Earth is full of violence by Biggs & Collings, Bringing the past to new horizonsby Athena Anastasiou

Every year there is a room that presents small architectural projects and ideas including works from student designers. The inspiration this year was taken from the constructivists in Eva Jiřičná work, displaying bold colours, large plinths, drawings and miniature models.
Inside Gallery 6, Drawing together by Niall McLaughlin

The exhibition was ticket-based priced at £20 and definitely worth the visit if you are in the area. It is a great way of promoting artists as well as supporting the creative arts industry in these difficult times. It is also available to view online for those who are unable to attend in person.

(Exhibition visits were undertaken within contempary covid guidelines)

Words and images by Jessica Westley

Hawthorne & Heaney for Lord Justice Nugee

November 16, 2020 by Natasha Searls-Punter

A year ago, if you had said that we would all be wearing face masks as an everyday thing, most people would have thought it madness. However, that being the world we now live in, face masks have reached all the people of every industry. A short while ago, we were approached by a very thoughtful lady, Rose Nugee, who wanted to commission an extravagant mask for a special occasion.

Her father, the now Lord Justice Nugee, was having his judges swearing in which the judges wear their wigs and ceremonial robes but in these times of covid, they also need to wear a mask. Rose asked us to design and make a mask to compliment the ornate details of the robes which feature the chancellor’s lace and robe ornaments, and this is what we came up with.

The mask features 3 shades of gold thread stitched on black silk, with 2 internal layers and a black silk lining also (all washable). We added a little momogram to the side as well to personalise it even further (and so no one could possibly mistake that it was theirs other than Lord Justice Nugee)

It was lovely of them both to share these photos from the big day with us, with them both looking so proud.

Photo courtesy of Rose Nugee

The Lord Chief Justice, ‘Ian Burnett’ even mentioned the mask in his speach during the swearing: ”Might I also congratulate him, or I think moreappropriately his daughter, on the splendid face mask he is wearing.”

Photo courtesy of Rose Nugee

We were delighted with how the piece came out and it was a really lovely project to have worked on.

If you have a project you think we might be able to help you with, please get in touch by emailing our team on info@embroidery.london

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits The House of Bandits Exhibition

October 30, 2020 by Intern

On the 16th of October I got the opportunity to visit the House of Bandits exhibition, which is based at Rembrandt House in London, just down the road from Savile Row. This exhibition is part of the Sarabande foundation created by the late Alexander McQueen to support the new and upcoming visionary talent of today. Offering both studio space and scholarships the foundation has helped many inspiring artists to date.

One of the artists in particular who I went to go see was Esna Su. She creates handcrafted pieces which explore ‘the subtle issues of identity and memory and how these are shaken in the context of political instability’. Within her work she uses the traditional Turkish techniques of weaving, twinning and crochet. As a fellow weaver myself I can understand the complexity and detail that goes into her woven pieces.

Below you can see the process that Esna Su goes through to create some of her final creations. When it comes to knitting, Su uses strips of vegetable leather and knits them together. She lets the designs take shape in their own way as once the leather is dry the organic shapes are exposed. In her own words ‘’through irregular and hollow shapes, she exposes the burden of displacement but also sketches an aspiration towards protection and preservation’’.

“It’s a big part of my life being at Sarabande and I’ll always remember my time with a big smile. I would never have been brave enough to do this without the support of Sarabande.”

Along with Esna Su’s work was another Turkish artist called Berke Yazicioglu who showcased his woven wall hanging which had a particular inspirational point of view. The following designs shown below are woven representations of Igor Stravinsky Rite of Spring. Listening to this piece he used the sound colour theory by different sounds, notes and instruments meaning different textile aspects. For example, the beat inspired the framework, the instruments represent a specific colour and the notes equal to a certain colour tone.

This exhibition is free. And for specific artists you can buy tickets. This is a great exhibition to help support fellow designs and is one to check out.

Words and Images by Isabelle Humm