We are incredibly proud to have three RSN Degree Graduates selected for The Métiers d’Art Embroidery Fellowship, a 24-week programme with CHANEL & The Prince’s Foundation Métiers d’Art Fellowship in Partnership with Le19M.

Read RSN Degree Graduate Durga’s Story:

I received an email about the course in November last year from Head of RSN Degree, Angie Wyman, there wasn’t much information at the beginning which made it exciting as the programme could have been about anything. The application process involved submitting an application form, a 10-page digital portfolio and a 2-minute video about ourselves. I then attended an interview at Highgrove Traditional Crafts, where I met the Course Coordinator and the Senior Educator Manager at The Prince’s Foundation.

The programme started near the end of January, the first part of the programme was heading to Paris and got trained at Ecole Lesage an embroidery school. We at trained Ecole Lesage Level 1 and learning the main embroidery skills used in Haute Couture which is tambour beading and needlework. We continued learning level 1 and started level 2 back at Highgrove Traditional Crafts. Whilst learning the skills we also started our brief to create a hand embroidered piece that demonstrates a high level of technical skills, that is inspired by Highgrove Gardens. When we first went into the gardens, I instantly got attracted by the flowers especially the hellebores and cyclamens due to their colours, shape and they were flowers which I have never seen before. As well as looking at flowers from the garden I also looked at flowers from Sri Lankan & India, I then focused on the lotus & marigolds, the reason to do this was to mix a very British garden with exotic flowers from a place that is known for being vibrant & colourful.

The second part of the programme was finalising the brief to create a clear concept and creating a range of samples. We again visited Paris where we had an atelier emersion week. I had the opportunity to spend a week in  Lemarié’s atelier, where I got to look at their archives for inspiration and use their facilities and materials for my sample making. As well as getting the chance to receive mentoring from creative directors about my work and how I can move forward with my final piece. When I was at Lemarié I got to use their die-cutting machine, I had cutouts of flowers to represent the flowers I was looking at, I continued sampling & researching when we got back from Paris, whilst researching flowers used in different context like wedding decor and saree brocades, I had found out there is a lotus shaped temple in New Delhi and started finding other flower shaped architecture, which gave me the idea to translate this into hand embroidery.

The third and final part of the programme was to create our final pieces. With help from Jamilla, our course coordinator, we got to chose a pattern piece that we embroidered and had a toile of the garment which was displayed in the exhibition at Highgrove Gardens. My final piece was a top embellished that has four distinctive flowers, hellebores, cyclamens, lotus and marigolds. Each flower is created from a variety of materials including, vinyl, acetate, sequin film and faux leather that I had cut into shapes to replicate the flowers. The flowers are formed from several layers of shapes which are embroidered with different sequence of beads and crystals. I had created a three-dimensional cupped effect by folding the petals and for the lotus flower I had used bugle beads to create the structure of the lotus flower that echos the temple in New Delhi. In addition to the embellished flowers, I added a trim on the neckline which used tambour beading to create a vermicelli stitch and added chantons montees.

The whole journey of the course has changed me, I have become more confident in myself as a hand embroider and my techniques have become more refined and polished. I had never thought I would get an amazing opportunity like this programme, getting to work in the ateliers and meeting people from industry who know who I am and have seen my work. I’ve always knew colour was my unique selling point, however being on this course has made me embrace it even more.

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image credits: Ana Clark