Patrick Grant
Patrick Grant is an award winning fashion designer, who is the director of Saville Row tailors, Norton & Sons, clothing brands E. Tautz and Community Clothing, and textile manufacturer Cookson & Clegg. He is also the popular judge on our favourite programme, the BBC One’s Great British Sewing Bee. Patrick is a regular visitor to the RSN, supporting our Degree Students throughout the year, presenting them with special Awards and providing unique hands on experience via new Collection launches of his menswear brand E. Tautz. RSN Degree Students have hand embroidered and embellished a variety of E. Tautz garments for Men’s Fashion Week, from shirts and waistcoats to jackets and jumpers. Pieces worked on by RSN Degree Students will be displayed at the forthcoming exhibition: 150 Years of the Royal School of Needlework: Crown to Catwalk at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London.
Susan Aldworth
Susan Aldworth, a highly original and experimental artist, is a British artist who specialises in works exploring the human mind. She is fascinated by human consciousness and the relationship between the physical brain and our sense of self. The RSN has worked with Susan on many occasions. RSN Degree Students have created bespoke themed embroidery for two of Susan’s exhibitions – ‘The Dark Self’ at York St Mary’s in 2017, exploring the experience of sleep; and ‘Out of the Blue’ at the Hatton Gallery in Newcastle in 2020, which explored the experiences of people living with epilepsy. Some of the pieces from ‘The Dark Self’ exhibition will be on display at the forthcoming: 150 Years of the Royal School of Needlework: Crown to Catwalk at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London.
Jamie, Mr X Stitch, Chalmers
Jamie “Mr X Stitch” Chalmers is one of the world’s most well-known male embroiderers, an internationally exhibited textile artist and curator. Jamie is a creative stitcher, who not only brings boundless positive energy to the world of needlework, but also helps break down the misconceptions of the craft. Mr X Stitch is a guest lecturer at the RSN and champions our schools project ‘Embroider a Selfie.’ As part of the project, Jamie has worked with our Degree Students, inspiring them to express their feelings by stitching a Power Mantra.
Sarah Mower
Sarah Mower MBE is a fashion journalist and critic for US Vogue and an advocate for young designers. She is also involved in fashion education, championing talent from every background to ensure equal opportunities across the industry. Sarah is the British Fashion Council’s Ambassador for Emerging Talent and a regular visitor at the RSN, inspiring and supporting our students. Sarah was awarded an MBE for Services to the Fashion Industry in 2011, and she has also published “20 Years: Dolce & Gabbana” and “Stylist: The Interpreters of Fashion.”
James Merry
James Merry is a visual artist from the UK, now based in Iceland where he has worked with Björk since 2009 as a frequent collaborator and co-creative director on her visual output. He is primarily known for his hand embroidery and mask-making, and has collaborated with many institutions including the Royal School of Needlework, where he did a residency in 2020.
Clare Hunter
Clare Hunter has sewn since she was a child. She has been a banner-maker, community textile artist and textile curator for over twenty years. Clare is author of the hugely popular book – ‘Threads of Life’. Clare’s second book ‘Embroidering Her Truth: Mary, Queen of Scots and the Language of Power’ will be released in March 2022. Clare, like the RSN, has a passion for needlework and champions the calming effects of stitch and how it can aid mental wellness.
Dev Patel
Dev Patel graduated from the BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery in 2018. He started the Degree Course with little hand skills, apart from using a drill and saw! Dev launched his own streetwear brand ‘NOCURFEW’ in May 2017. The brand focuses on the energy of youth culture and includes menswear, streetwear, footwear and accessories. For Dev’s third year Final Major Project at the RSN, he was inspired by the ancient Hindu story of the child-God Krishna and traditional Indian Goldwork to bring his new collection of ‘NOCURFEW’ to life. Elements of the project will be on display at our Anniversary Exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum.
Michele Carragher
Michele Carragher is mixed media Artist who has worked for over 25 years creating hand embroidered details on costumes for Film and TV. After attending the London College of Fashion, where she studied fashion design, Michele worked in textile conservation, which has proven to be invaluable to her embroidery work on costumes for film and TV. Michele has worked as a principal costume embroiderer on many costume award winning productions such as HBO/C4 miniseries Elizabeth I which starred Dame Helen Mirren, The Crown (season one), and most notably Game of Thrones, working on all eight seasons. The end of 2021 marked a major creative development within Michele’s work as an artist when she realised her first book, entitled Trace. A publication that truly highlights her creativity, presenting an exhibition of this her first body of work. Michele has supported the RSN Degree course since 2016, presenting the Certificates at an End of Year Awards event and more recently giving a talk to inspire our students on their careers in hand embroidery.