Sole to Soul
Rosie Millard
Originality, edge and flare merge seamlessly with tradition in Rosie Millard’s forward-thinking designs. She brings a fresh contemporary approach to traditional hand embroidery.
Rosie Millard creates uniquely original haute couture pieces using everyday objects as inspiration for her intricate hand embroidered designs. Combining traditional hand embroidery techniques and giving them a modern and contemporary spin, she is able to produce a collection that plays homage to both.
This unique collection’s ‘soul’ comes from the hidden designs found on the soles of shoes and recognises how every pair has their own unique footprint and this was design waiting to be explored. Rosie’s collection also highlights the need to avoid fast fashion. She recognises the importance of reusing clothing and she has created interchangeable dresses which can have multiple panels that can be changed depending on the occasion.
She has achieved this by creating an original and innovative collection which allows the wearer to customise and create their own wardrobe by interchanging panels to suit the wearer’s occasion, preferences and keeping up with current trends whilst reducing their part in fast fashion.
Rosie has been resolute in her determination not to loose the intricate details of traditional hand embroidery. She therefore works with unconventional materials in a traditional way producing an intense and richly bespoke garment. This ensures her pieces of work are tactile and original.
Her originality is achieved, through manipulating and pushing fabrics, as well as components, to their limits. She then works a concept to final product through extensive sampling, using her undergraduate studies and extensive research to fuel her imagination.
Rosie is an RSN Degree Graduate, and during her studies she was awarded significant bursaries for all three years; she is also extremely grateful for the generous sponsorship from Madeira Threads.
Rosie has undertaken a range of work experience which includes working for Ralph & Russo, Zandra Rhodes, E. Tautz and Susan Aldworth. These all included working on couture garments, utilising her unique and bespoke hand embroidery skills. Rosie also worked on a textile piece for HRH The Duchess of Cambridge which was displayed at the ‘Back to Nature’ garden at the 2019 Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.
Top Tips: Keep Going! There will be techniques that you will pull your hair out over, mine was Whitework but keep going, the final outcome will be worth all the stress! Just remember to create a good workstation, good lighting, sitting with good posture, covering work when not working on it and cleaning your hands.
Advice to future art and textile students: Be as experimental as you can, work with unconventional materials and push the boundaries – there are no limits. Grab every opportunity you are presented with and enjoy working at the best campus in the world you will never have this experience again. This has been the best three years of my life and I would redo it again in a heartbeat!!
You can follow Rosie on her Instagram page.
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