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Hawthorne & Heaney goes to London Craft Week

May 21, 2018 by Eleanor Rowlands

What were you doing last week? Specifically 9-13 May. Did you manage to catch London Craft Week? Well, it’s alright if you missed it, because we are here to share with you what we did and learned!

This festival that spans across London celebrates British and international creativity. Covering a vast range of disciplines, it brought together over 200 established and emerging makers, designers, brands and galleries from around the world.

We started our journey in the heart of English bespoke tailoring- Savile Row. The Row that is entrenched deep in history, famous worldwide, houses over 100 craftsman in more than a dozen bespoke tailoring business. It is a community that not only produces the esteemed English luxurious product but is active in training new craftsman. We had the chance to attend an hour-long masterclass pattern cutting at Henry Poole & Co. In the brief hour, taught by one of the cutters about dinner jackets, he engaged us on the construction of the trouser pattern. First, measurement was taken off a gentleman in the room, then he moved onto crafting the pattern. Primarily using the Centre Front Centre Back cutting system, where scales and mathematics are used to give proportions so as to draft for the body of the customer.

Hawthorne & Heaney goes to London Craft Week London Hand Embroidery — Dinner Suit Trouser Pattern Cutting Process | Image: Hawthorne & Heaney

After the hour, we gained a heightened respect for the craft of tailoring. Behind one jacket, it involves roughly 10 artisans, who engage in the making of the various sections of the garment. They perfect the moulding and shaping of the fabric so that it sits perfectly on the body. Bespoke tailoring suits are certainly a class of their own in both elegance and comfort.

Next, we ventured down to Sloane Square, to discover Maria Svarbova’s photography series that was the inspiration behind Delpozo Spring Summer 2018 ‘Musicalia’ collection. We were blown away by the beautiful photographs, that has this retro-futuristic. The artist describes the series as having a sense of ‘artificial detachment’, although set in a retro environment, ‘the pictures somehow evoke a futuristic feeling as well, as if they were taken somewhere completely alien.’, the moment is frozen in time. In addition, the symmetrical composition enhances the ethereal quality.

Looking at the collection alongside the photographs, there is much resemblance in the colour palette. Creative director, Josep Font skillfully translated the swimming pool blue that ripples throughout the photographs, into the choice of the fabric and embroidery. Complimenting them with pastel shades of yellow, pink, and definitely the shocking red, there is a sense of a dreamlike atmosphere.

In addition, the geometric lines and stillness of the pool, reminds us of the intimate atmosphere at the atelier; cool, architectural and beautiful, a style synonym with the brand.

Lastly, we headed to the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize at the Design Museum, that will be held till 17 June. This exhibition best summarises craft and artistic endeavours all over the world. Exhibiting a range of international works that stretch across practices, such as ceramics, papercraft, woodwork to jewellery. Entering the exhibition, visitors are provided with an audio guide, that gives a detailed explanations about the works, aiding further appreciation and understanding of the craft in view.

One theme that ran throughout all the works exhibited is that there are continued efforts made to revive traditional techniques alongside pushing the boundaries of the skill. An example is a winning piece by Jennifer Lee, who mixed metallic oxides into clay to create colour, a technique that she discovered. Complimenting this avant-garde colouring technique, with an ancient practice of pinching and coiling clay, it resulted in the creation of a beautiful speckled surface. The varying gradient of bands that encircle the piece, resembles time frozen between traditional and contemporary.

Another work, that we truly appreciate is by Takuro Kuwata’s Tea Bowl. Unlike traditional potters, who often aims to hide any cracks in their work, Kuwata defies that norm. He enhances the impression of chaos, that is natural to the unpredictable nature of ceramics, by making it the feature point of his work. By combining porcelain with platinum and steel, he challenges the possibility of materials. The melted and crack surface of the work is complemented with the saturated green patina, that makes the work contemporary and elegant.

Embroidery is also celebrated at this exhibition! Richard McVetis, who is captivated by the meditative nature of the process, draws with needle and thread. He embroidered sixty cubes over the duration of sixty hours, materialising time into something tactile and visual.

Perched on 60 beams, the 60 cubes remind me of the globe of islands, but in a square. It is a rather fun way of curating the world and plays on the idea that the world is not round but square.

London Craft Week is truly a celebration of hands that spans multiple disciplines. It makes us cherish and esteem the time and energy that goes into crafting beautiful objects. Unlike mass produced items that are often regarded as disposable, the work of the hand interweaves personal stories and beauty into everything made. In this age of mass consumption and disposal, we are glad that there is a renaissance in the appreciation of creativity and craft worldwide. We at Hawthorne & Heaney, are definitely standing behind that resurgence and hope to safeguard the shared heritage of craft.

Hawthorne & Heaney goes to Ocean Liners: Speed and Style

May 3, 2018 by Eleanor Rowlands

Spanning across 8 rooms the V&A museum’s exhibition, Ocean Liners: Speed and Style, takes us back to an era of opulence and lifestyle travel. Walls painted in moody grey tones, wooden floors, all paired with ocean sounds create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.

Starting off with a brief history of ocean liners and their links to immigration they quickly move forward to when immigration quotas were introduced,and the start of the liners we came to know today. Bold display of large posters and magazines advertising trips and destinations adorned the walls, these originally were to entice the people with money, advertising this lifestyle of travel and luxury that previously they had turned their noses up at. All of the posters touched on a feeling of brightness and a new modern age.

As you walk around the first room there are models of ships and detailed drawings of the impressive building these companies invested in to further enhance this idyllic way of travel.

Moving on through, the exhibition touches more upon the furniture and interior design of these magnificent ships many of which were inspired by the arts and craft movement and often a showcase of the country’s goods, such as the British Queen Mary was a showcase of British woods. Wall panels and furniture, mainly chairs, continued through the exhibition as these are a good way of tracking style change within eras. There was a sense of nostalgia in each of the rooms, as videos of life on these ships are played throughout.

Further on through they discuss the importance of liners throughout World War 1 and 2 as troop transport and delivering supplies and the addition of new engineering advancements to the liners as aircraft travel superseded them. There is also a Wooden panel fragment from an over-door in the first-class lounge on Titanic.

Embroidery and craftsmanship were very apparent throughout, even more so when it came to the last section which focused more on the liners as they became a vacation/leisure activity. This is when deck chairs were being introduced, lounging by the pool became popular and games such a deck curling were installed on deck.

Amongst the collection of swimwear, and Louis Vuitton luggage cases are outfits and objects from Miss Emilie Grigsby, a well travelled American socialite, who’s wardrobe is not only stunning but ahead of the times in many aspects.

Overall the exhibition is nostalgic and beautiful with a large mix of tastes and periods, taking influence from various cultures. We would definitely say this is one not to miss as it is a masterclass in style.

The Ocean Liners: Speed and Style will be running at the V&A until Sunday 17th June. Prices are £18.00 for an adult and £15.00 for a student with concession tickets available.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits Scythians: Warriors of ancient Siberia

February 8, 2018 by Natasha Searls-Punter

We like to keep our interests broad here at Hawthorne & Heaney so The British Museum’s current exhibition, Scythians: Warriors of ancient Siberia, looked appealing to us. On from the 14th September 2017 to the 14th January 2018 it looks at the nomadic tribes who flourished between 800 and 200 BC, displaying various examples of their gold jewellery, clothing, weapons and living equipment.

The exhibition is spread across 4 large rooms, with carefully illustrated videos and child friendly sections of signage. Whilst walking round there is a subtle soundtrack of wind blowing playing in all the room to really add effect the the visuals you see.

It starts off with a little introduction about the Scythians, which was a collective name for different tribes that spoke Iranian, and shared a similar lifestyle and dress. Little has been previously known about these people who controlled a vast region of northern China all the way to the Black sea, as they had no written language, but since burial sites have been found and the permafrost preserved most objects scientist and historians have started to piece together a look into their life.

They were sophisticated crafts people and fearsome warriors who lived in tents and herded sheep, tradition was a focal point around whatever they did, as they used to bury the dead with all they needed for the afterlife. They had a strong bond with their own horses and often they were buried along with the owners as they believed the bond carried through to the afterlife.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits Scythians: Warriors of ancient Siberia London Hand Embroidery — Scythians with horses under a tree. Gold belt plaque. Siberia, 4th–3rd century BC. © The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, 2017. Photo: V Terebenin.

The jewellry on display was stunning gold that was usually either hammered and polished by hand or cast using a technique using cloth and clay. Gold was associated with the sun and power and most of the scenes buckles and decorative horse saddles depicted were scenes of mythical animals killing ordinary animals, this was believed to symbolise concern over preservation of world order. The items are remarkably well preserved and some still contain their original turquoise or blue glass inlays.

Opposite these there is a bit of information about Tsar Peter the first, who sent exhibitions to southern Siberia and found the burial sites. After this he ordered anything gold found around there was to be sent to him,where he documented and recorded and stored all the items. Some of the watercolours used to document the items are also on display.

What I found most interesting was the clothing and textiles that were displayed. One of the burial sites that was found contained what they believed to be a Chief and his wife. The clothing was elaborately decorated with punched, gold crouching panther pieces and a lot of the fur that they wore, a variety of squirrel, leopard, and other animals, was dyed using traditional natural dyes such as indigo and cochineal. Other items of particular interest were the highly decorated shoes, head gear and the fake beards the men were buried with.

The beards were of particular speculation because scans and the preservation of the mummified bodies showed that they were often clean shaven and both men and women were heavily tattooed. Applique onto woolen items were heavily featured as well although these didn’t survived as well as others.

What tribes they couldn’t make and produce themselves they traded and stole from other tribes. The most highly prized item was Chinese patterned silk, some of these fragments have survived. The exhibition also touches on the weapons and armour that was used, the bond with their horses and the influences from other cultures such as the Greeks, and Persians. Eventually they were superseded by other nationalities and tribes as new traditions got introduced the old ones vanished and formed what we know as the mongol tribes and others.

Over all the exhibition is really informative and covers a wide variety of interests and is running till the 14th January 2018 at The British Museum.

All photos are from The British Museum Blog.

Hawthorne & Heaney :Dismantling of a Victorian Mourning Shawl

January 18, 2018 by Eleanor Rowlands

WHO, WHAT & WHY?

Hawthorne & Heaney was given the Victorian shawl by Sue Thomas from Savile Row bespoke.

HISTORY

In the Victorian era, black was considered the appropriate colour to be worn when mourning the loss of a loved one and in some cultures, this is still the case today. It is believed that the mourning attire was a protection against negative thoughts. By wearing the colour black it also informed family, friends and acquaintances that the wearer had recently lost someone close to them and was a warning not to approach them within this sad period of time. For women, the fashion symbolised the depth of affliction with the colour of clothing indicating the gradual return from black to bold clothing through the hues of purple and violet, this was recognised as the second stage of mourning. The length of time Victorian women wore mourning garments varied on the degree of relationship with the deceased from a week up to a year.

DISMANTLING OF THE SHAWL

The dismantling of the shawl was a very long process as parts of the shawl was originally constructed using an embroidery technique called tambour beading. Tambour is French for drum and is done by using a hook where the fabric is stretched as tight as a drum. The fabric can be stretched by being sewn onto a rectangular frame or placed in a wooden hoop. The Tambour hook makes a chain stitch in a technical order where it will keep each bead securely in place. If the knot or process of the tambour chain stitch was to be done incorrectly then the whole beadwork would come undone. Depending on your experience using the Tambour technique beads can be secured in place very fast this is why a lot of fashion houses such as Dior are well known for using this technique in order to get garments completed on a tight time schedule. To get each bead loose from the shawl the embroidery stitches were cut allowing the bead to be free. Once all the beads were eventually dismantled from the Victorian shawl they were sorted into bags so all the same beads were neatly secured and measured ready to be used again. Below you are able to see photographs of sections from the shawl being dismantled.

NEW PURPOSE

It is very important to Hawthorne & Heaney that the beads are used in another exciting project. This is because of the heritage behind this shawl and the construction that went into the making of it was exquisite. With the shawl being so old it was beginning to fall apart and unable to be restored therefore there was no other option but to take it apart and store the beads safely away until we find a project that will give them a new purpose. We are unsure currently what that project will be but we are sure we will know when the time comes.

Hawthorne & Heaney for Diana: Designing a Princess BBC Documentary

March 23, 2017 by Hasina Akther

2017 sees the 20th anniversary of the tragic death of our beloved Diana, Princess of Wales. To mark the anniversary, BBC Two has made a documentary called ‘Diana: Designing a Princess’ to celebrate the Princesses sense of style and fashion. Hawthorne and Heaney are excited and grateful to say we played a small part in this by embroidering section titles for the documentary.

As one of the most famous women on the planet, this programme traces the evolution of the Princess’s style, ‘from the demure, romantic outfits of her first public appearances’.

To her playing the role of a ‘fairy tale princess’

She captured the hearts of the world and elevated to the ‘glamour, elegance and confidence of her later life’.

Princess Diana Dancing with John Travolta on her visit to America at President Reagan’s White House Gala in 1985.

The BBC2 documentary is presented by Brenda Emmanus, BBC’s Art, Culture and Entertainment correspondent and was produced in collaboration with the Historic Royal Places. Brenda looks at some of Diana’s ‘most celebrated and exquisite dresses’, which have been brought together for a new exhibition at Kensington Palace – open from 24th February 2017 and runs until March 2018.

Brenda then visits the Conservation Studio at Hampton Court Palace as the dresses are prepared for display.

She hears from historians, cultural commentators and the designers who dressed Diana, including Elizabeth Emanuel, Victor Edelstein and David Sassoon. Exhibition curator Eleri Lynn says that Diana, was ‘an excellent silent communicator through her clothes’ and this can be noted in the so called ‘Revenge Dress’ she unveiled on the night Prince Charles admitted adultery.

Diana broke away from the traditional image of royal outfits and created her own image as a modern princess.

This year, the Princess would have turned 56, which seems unimaginable and this exhibition and documentary is a perfect way to understand Diana’s fashion choices and to celebrate Diana.

The documentary is still available to watch on BBC TWO.

References:

Historical Royal Places – http://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/visit-us/top-things-to-see-and-do/diana-her-fashion-story/#gs.TxGK4KA

History of Royal Women – http://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/diana-princess-of-wales/diana-princess-waless-fashion-legacy-celebrated-kensington-palace/

The Telegraph – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/02/25/diana-designing-princess-provokes-mixed-emotions-review/

Marie Claire – http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/princess-diana-s-dresses-the-truth-behind-her-most-famous-fashion-moments-116675

Vanity Fair – http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/09/john-travolta-princess-diana-dance-memory

Hawthorne & Heaney on the Dressed By Angels Exhibition

May 6, 2016 by Natasha Searls-Punter

Dressed by Angels

For 175 years Angels has been dressing actors and actresses, including those in Oscar award-winning films, and Olivier and Tony award-winning theatre. Spanning several generations of one family, Angels has become the world’s premier costumiers and has recently received a BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. To celebrate their magnificent milestone, an interactive exhibition of costumes from the early Victorian era to the present day was held in London.

Dressed by Angels, which opened at the Old Truman Brewery in October featured over 100 historic costumes and props from the world of TV, film and theatre.Amongst them were many recognisable names including Dr Who, Wicked, Star Wars and Titanic to name but a few. Visitors were also able to experience interactive media displays on the history of the company and explore workshops showing the process of make.

“Normally I’ve always said no to doing an exhibition because I think costume exhibitions are just costumes on dummies, but they were worn by people and whilst they are things, there’s more of a story behind them. I look at them and think of all the agony that’s gone into producing them and nobody actually sees that. When Richard and Carol (the exhibition’s creators) came in, we found that we shared the same vision.” – Tim Angel

We produced a range of badges for the exhibition for them. The embroidery was applied to their costumes in house and was raised in silk finish threads.

To find out more about the inspirational work of Angels visit their website www.angels.uk.com

And if you missed the exhibition why not sign up for one of their fascinating behind the scenes tours!

Reviewed by Charlotte Hailwood

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits the British Museum

April 28, 2016 by Natasha Searls-Punter

It is always wonderful to see what culture and history London has to offer and at the moment, the British Museum has 2 exhibitions on that will be of interest to anyone whole appreciates textiles. Following on from the very sucessful ‘Fabrics of India’ exhibition, they have the ‘Krishna in the garden of Assam’ piece. Also showing now in the main collections are a range of Islamic Footwear some of which regulars may recognise from the ‘Shoes: Pleasure & Pain’ exhibition.

Krishna in the garden of Assam the cultural context of an Indian textile:

Currently on display at the British Museum is the ‘Vrindavani Vastra’ (cloth of Vrindavan), which is reported to be the largest surviving example of an Assamese devotional textile. Made from woven silk, this beautiful textile depicts the Hindu god Krishna and his life in the forest of Vrindavan. Produced circa 1680, and measuring over 9 metres, the textile features both imagery and text demonstrating the highly skilled and most unusual weaving techniques that must have existed in India at this time.

The Banyan gown pictured below is made of Chinese floral damask with a lining that is also made from pieces of similar Vrindavani textile woven sometime between 1550 and 1800. The re-use of such textiles in items of clothing has helped to ensure their survival today although sadly the weaving techniques that produced them have since been lost.

Alongside the other exhibits, including masks, garments, and manuscripts, a short introductory film and an exciting video artwork combine to build a picture of late 17th century lndian history and of Krishna worship.

The exhibition Krishna in the garden of Assam is at The British Museum 21 January – 15 August 2016. Admission is free.

Life and Sole: Footwear from the Islamic world

Also on display at the British Museum is the Life and sole exhibition, in which footwear reveals an intriguing insight into the historical, as well as current, social and cultural aspects of life in Islamic countries.

The display features shoes and footwear of different styles, materials, and production techniques, dating from circa 1800, and originating from North Africa, the Middle East, Turkey, Central Asia and South Asia.

From stilted bath clogs for bathing, to beautiful hand embroidered red leather wedding slippers, the display tells a story of people and their lifestyles and demonstrates the influence of politics and international trade on the fashion of footwear.

The exhibition runs from 14 November 2015-15 May 2016. Admission is free.

British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, United Kingdom

by Charlotte Hailwood 15/04/16

Hawthorne & Heaney’s New Home, Soho

July 10, 2015 by Natasha Searls-Punter

As new residents of the area we thought we would share some interesting bits we have found out about the area that make us feel at home in our new surroundings.

London has a rich history of dressmaking and tailoring, up until the early 19th Century, Paris had been the centre for fashion and clothing trends, but there became more of a desire in England for fit and form than for ostentation which is wear the Tailors began to flourish as they created a blend of style and practicality. The West End, including Soho became a well known outlet for fine clothing goods. As Savile Row developed and grew in respect, so did other crafts people around it who would supply both to the tailors and customers.

The road adjacent to our new building was the home of another type of craftsman, as during the 1700’s tow famous musical instrument makers, Kirkman’s, harpsichord and pianoforte makers and Broadwood’s which was established on Great Pulteney Street. Just behind Brewer Street is Golden Square, now home to many publishing and media agencies but in the 1800’s was a great position for the newly flourishing woollen and worsted merchants to be in as it was such close proximity to their biggest customers, the tailors. Likewise, the production of gold lace also sprung up in golden square, who in time gave their name to the area. Nearby, in Smiths Court, could be found the petticoat makers and leather specialists so that in a short walk, you could procure all the things you would need for new rags in London from all your specialist craftspeople.

Going back a bit further even Piccadilly which is only a short distance away is in fact named after a tailor who was in residence there in called Robert Baker, who made stiff, wide lace collars known as ‘Piccadills’. These were the height of fashion in the 17th Century which allowed Baker to go on to build himself a new residence nearby which became known as Piccadilly House which later gave its name to the area.

We are really looking forward to being a part of the rich history of craftspeople in the Soho/Mayfair area, come down and see us!