Today, Friday 19 November, we celebrate International Men’s Day with two stories, from long standing RSN Tutor Owen Davies and second year RSN Degree Student, Tomas Asmelash.
Owen Davies: “In the summer of 2014, I was welcomed into the Worshipful Company of Broderers. As tradition would have it, the newest liveryman is asked to give an acceptance speech which, on this particular year, was at The Mercers’ Hall. I was able to say, with good authority, that I had become the first member of the company to earn his living as a Broderer since the Middle Ages. I’m fascinated that men dominated hand embroidery centuries ago and yet today it is mainly recognised as an art pursued by women. It’s a great topic to delve into on International Men’s Day. How is it possible in the 21st Century to be a male embroiderer?
It’s true when they say ‘ignorance is bliss’. When I applied to the Royal School of Needlework 30 years ago, I had dabbled with needlework just as a hobby. Up until then I had been a full-time chef and had graduated from Westminster School of Catering in the mid-eighties. Training at Westminster opened doors for me and I worked in London and continued my training on the job in prestigious places such as the London Clinic Harley Street and Claridge’s Hotel. After years of unsocial working hours, I decided I needed to feed a different creative side. I rediscovered needlework as a means of relaxation. I soon discovered that I could be creative without the fear that my work would be eaten – something I never came to terms with as a chef…And you can imagine the issues that caused in the kitchen!
My first venture with the needle was when I was 7 years old. One summer my grandmother, Lucy, sat me down with a needle and thread and, with her help, I designed a canvas project for the summer holidays. My grandmother was very talented and resourceful. She could turn her hand to anything. Although the needlework bug didn’t bite, my grandmother was modern and wasn’t afraid to introduce her only grandson to a skill that enabled her to pass on her wisdom.
When my first niece was born, it seemed only natural to create an embroidery for her nursery. My niece, also named Lucy, became the owner of my first major embroidery project – a cot cover worked with stranded cottons and using the alphabet as a theme. Each capital letter was worked in padded satin stitch and the theme for each letter changed: ‘A’ had an apple orchard; ‘B’ had a small boat with a child fishing, that kind of theme. I had no idea that years later this piece, along with other pieces, would open the doors to the Apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework.
Becoming the first and only man to graduate from the Apprenticeship since 1872 was a shock to me back in 1994, although I joke that I was taken on because I could change a light bulb! I was never made to feel that I didn’t belong or fit in. The Royal School was settling into their new apartments at Hampton Court Palace when I became an Apprentice. I had naively thought that there wasn’t a need to research the school prior to me starting the Apprenticeship and I suppose, at 21, it was a new adventure into the unknown world of hand embroidery.
I can still remember my first day at the School, in 1991. The smell of burnt timbers from the fire that had ripped through the Kings apartments on 31 March 1986, was still present. There was a sense of excitement and trepidation. It didn’t feel strange that I was the only guy. My fellow Apprentices welcomed me and we all started off on this incredible journey that would see us all embroider for hundreds of hours to hone our skills.
We were privileged to be given the opportunity to work alongside designers and skilled craftsmen. The variety of work we were exposed to was incredible, royal commissions and projects associated with restoration and conservation of textiles. We were able to participate in hands on projects in the Embroidery Studios which were monitored by members of the Studio team. The grounding I was given on the scheme stood me well and I was invited to work in the Studio full time upon graduating.
I continued to teach for the school creating my own style and approach to hand embroidery. I was always looking to push my ability and skill and create something different. After years of working in the Studio, and being one of the founding Tutors on the Certificate course, I decided I needed to explore other avenues. I created the needlework consultancy with the UK department store John Lewis Partnership and worked with the Director and Head of Buying for the Victoria store. I was able to influence the assortment and enable staff training throughout the stores countrywide, and I also ran a series of classes for the Partnership.
It was here that I noticed the biggest resistance to me being a male embroiderer. I hadn’t realised that at the Royal School I was preaching to the converted. Students that were brave enough to cross the hallowed floors of the School were just relieved and happy to be there. Working for John Lewis was a totally different ball game. It was what I consider to be my ‘commercial apprenticeship’. I learnt so much about retail and the commercial side of my business. It was fascinating and a time I wouldn’t change. To this day, I still teach students that I taught 20 years ago through the John Lewis Partnership.
As a male embroiderer, I thought it was an enlightened move for the Principal and Trustees of the School to invite me to be head of the department which ran the Apprenticeship. I became the Head of Education and was responsible for exhibitions and external shows associated with the Apprenticeship and Studio. It was an honour to work with such talented teachers and staff. I also co-wrote a book on embroidered knot gardens with Gill Holdsworth, which saw my creative mix of techniques used in a variety of different ways. Influenced by the knot gardens during the Tudor times, I was able to reintroduce these patterns onto canvas, which allowed the embroiderer to create a small three-dimensional garden filled with topiary and fountains and grottos. I have taught knot gardens around the world enjoying my international status as a male hand embroiderer. I continue to delve into this traditional style today with a new garden, which will showcase a 150th anniversary garden for the Royal School and I will teach in summer 2022.
The creative world is experiencing a boom in the arts. There has never been a greater time when we need to explore the possibilities of needlework. For a long time, I have found that teaching embroidery isn’t just about the stitch. It’s about the community, that moment in the classroom where, collectively, everyone is engaged in their projects. They can turn their attention to their work and have that time out. A student recently said to me that his embroidery was like having a holiday. He felt enriched and grounded when he was stitching. Issues and problems of the day disappear.
I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to enrich and nurture my students through the variety of different projects throughout the years. I’ve always felt that I am a custodian of these skills. It’s my duty to pass on and safeguard what I was taught. The purpose of the Royal School of Needlework I hold dear to my heart. I will be forever grateful for the women who set me on this path in my life, who have enriched me and enabled me to be where I am today you know who you are.”
You can follow Owen through his Instagram account and to learn more about becoming a RSN Tutor click here.
Tomas Asmelash is in second year of the RSN Degree, BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery. Tomas is originally from Eritrea and arrived in England in 2016, with no English. He lived with relatives and attended a school in Norwood where his Textiles Teacher was very encouraging. He achieved an A* for his A Level, always excelling in creative subjects. He now lives in New Malden and shares the story of how he joined the RSN Degree course in September 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic.
“I always knew I had a passion for hand embroidery. Back home I lived with my lovely grandmother. She liked to hand sew clothes and I used to be next to her trying to figure out what she was doing. I remember back when I was 13 years old she shared with me my first hand embroidery experience which was a simple running stitch and chain stitches. She would teach me how to repair clothes when they had ripped and now I always enjoy fixing my clothes.
When I moved to England, I studied Maths and Textiles A-levels – quite strange given that maths and textiles are not related at all! I fell in love with textiles and felt that I really belonged within that world. When I was studying for my A-level, I used to produce great samples of embroidery and my lovely teacher, Ms Nicholas, saw that embroidery was my passion which was, in turn, coming out through my completed work. I doubted myself for a second, but then realised that practicing embroidery came naturally to me and that I was good. I knew I had what it takes.
In 2018, I visited the graduate event ‘New Designers’ with my teacher and my classmates in London. I visited the RSN Degree stand and looked at the work on display. I loved the work and wanted to know more about it. I spoke with the Graduates and Angie (Degree Course Leader) about the course and did my own research. I thought it was a great chance to apply for it. Fast forward a few years and I am so happy to say that I am a second year RSN student. It was the best decision I made in my life!
In first and second year, I learned many technical hand embroidery techniques including Crewelwork, Goldwork, Canvaswork, Silk Shading, Blackwork, and I am currently learning Tambour, which is a very exciting and unique technique. So far, Goldwork and Tambour have been my favourite techniques as I like working with shiny materials like sequins, beads, couched threads, cutwork etc. It is very vibrant and colourful.
At the moment, I’m working on a Bradford Textiles competition project, exploring colour in nature and I’ve chosen Tambour for my hand embroidery technique. For the project, we’ve been asked to collect images of our own photography of flowers and references from secondary sources. This research enables us to create detailed and observed colour drawings and paintings, motif designs, stitch and mixed media hand embroidery. I will then create my own hand embroidery designs that are inspired by nature. After I graduate, I would like to work for esteemed fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen and Chanel.
For me, International Men’s Day, is about recognising and celebrating the cultural, political, and socio-economic achievements of men. The broader and ultimate aim of the event is to promote basic humanitarian values, as well as awareness towards men’s issues.
For example, there are not enough men practicing hand embroidery because of the stigma attached to it and the stereotype that hand embroidery is seen as feminine and a very women-dominated world.
To me, hand embroidery is breaking down the barriers and showcasing that men can do embroidery too and that we should not be ashamed of having a talent that can often be seen as feminine. I would love to be an Ambassador for other young kids who may want to study hand embroidery. International Men’s Day is all about breaking these barriers and showcasing diversity and inclusivity.”
You can follow Tomas through his Instagram account and to learn more about the RSN’s BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery Degree click here.