Degree Collaboration with Artist PJ Harvey

27th May, 2022

RSN Degree Students have created a unique hand embroidered dress for musician and poet, PJ Harvey. The dress was inspired by Harvey’s new book Orlam, a beautiful and profound narrative poem, set in a magic realist version of the West Country (south west England) and will be worn for her poetry recital tour.

Inspired by Harvey’s own drawings of insects and birds, our Degree Students have captured the essence of the book’s narrative and beautifully translated it through the art of hand embroidery. The specialist needlework was designed to connect with the embroidery heritage of the West Country and features a combination of traditional stiches, including Dorset Feather, Buttonhole, Chain and Fly Stitch. These are stitches which are known worldwide, but also have a distinctive connection to the locality.

Designer Todd Lynn and RSN Degree Course Leader Angie Wyman spearheaded the project. Angie said:

“To connect directly with an artist through their drawings is such a powerful experience. Hand embroidery was the perfect medium to translate the sensitivity of the drawn mark and bring the imagery to life. It not only captured the notion of the maker and the hand, but also a contemporary interpretation of a traditional process.”

RSN Degree Technician and Graduate, Jasmine Dawson, managed the project development through the hand embroidery sampling stages. Jasmine then worked directly with the students, who hand embroidered individual components. Each embroiderer worked to a defined colour palette which contributed to the overall composition whilst offering the artistic freedom to interpret the image through colour and stitch. The final garment was assembled by RSN Textile Technician, Emily Howse.

You can see PJ Harvey and listen to poems from Orlam on 2 June at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. PJ Harvey was awarded an MBE for services to music as well as an Honorary Degree in Music from Goldsmith University. She is the only artist to have won the Mercury Prize twice. Harvey’s debut poetry collection was The Hollow of the Hand in 2015. Orlam is a coming of age tale and the first full length book written in the Dorset dialect for many decades.

View work from RSN Degree Graduates 2021

Watch PJ Harvey’s interview with Frank Skinner on YouTube where she acknowledges the embroidery created by the RSN (2.51 to 3.18mins).

If you would like to find out more about our Degree course, book your place on the forthcoming Open Day at Hampton Court Palace at 1pm on Thursday 16 June.

Photo of PJ Harvey © Sumit Bothra