Look behind the scenes of our new collection ‘A Floral Anthology’. Delve into our inspirations and the creative process that brought this collection to life.
A Floral Anthology - A Tapestry of European and Indian Textiles.
For centuries, creative exchange between eastern and western cultures has flourished and our SS25 Floral Anthology collection pays homage to that legacy. The collection explores the ways in which different cultures continuously inspire one another to create new design languages that seamlessly blend diverse inspirations.
We have combined influences from rural Europe, inspired by holidays close to home in Provencal and Florence, with the spirited artistry of India and the wider South Asian region.
We were heavily inspired by a team trip we took to Varanasi, India late last year, when we visited our hand embroidery workshops and our team of embroiderers. We love the vibrant culture and rich textures of this region and it formed a solid foundation for the collection. When we returned to London, we started to build on this with further research, sketching and image gathering. We were particularly interested in vintage textile sampler books and designs from our own archives and quickly focused on the symbolism of flowers as our central theme. Transcending time, place and culture, they serve as inspiration time and time again for designers and makers globally, throughout the ages.
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Thistle and oakleaf goldwork jacket draft |
Flower Pot Embroidered Panel. Designed by William Morris & Co. Embroidered by May Morris |
Our inspiration was enriched by the William Morris Gallery's Art from the Islamic World exhibition and a visit to their private archive. We were intrigued to learn how much of Morris’ early work was influenced by art and textiles from this area and how he was able to blend this inspiration with his own aesthetic to create something completely new and unique.
The V&A's The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture & Opulence exhibition further fueled our exploration of the cross-pollination between European and Asian design. This exhibition explores the tremendous creative output of the Mughal dynasty and the influence of European art on the Mughal workshops, which were introduced by Christian missionaries, foreign ambassadors and merchants.
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Large scale textile and embroidery tapestry
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Moodboard: shows materials & colours, initial sketches and archive materials, developed designs for both machine and hand embroidery outcomes and images of first samples. |
Some of our key words & themes from the outset of our collection included:
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Craftsmanship
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Heirloom
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Heritage
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Lace / Border designs
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Patchwork
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Fragments
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Block Printing
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Micro Florals/ Repeat Prints
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Elaborate patterning
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Ornamental/ decorative/ adorned
We began to develop delicate floral motifs and pastoral imagery and intertwined this with intricate paisley patterns, blooming flowers and fantastical fruits.
We created our colour and material palettes, settling upon a scheme of muted earth shades and pastel hues mixed with rich jewel tones of teal and aubergine.
Choosing the Right Materials
The quality of the materials we work with is vital to the success of our embroideries and our trips to India also act as a vital sourcing opportunity for gathering beads, sequins, crystals and more. Here’s Alice, our Production Director looking like a child in a sweetshop! Except it’s goldwork bullion, of course!
We then combined the materials sourced on our trip with vintage beads and sequins in our studio collection.
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When visiting our workshop in India, we have the opportunity to work side by side with our team of skilled embroiderers and artisans and watch the incredible process of our embroidery designs coming to life. ‘A Floral Anthology’ is a complex collection of extremely intricate and detailed designs and the process requires sampling and testing to get the designs just right. Here are some behind the scenes images from our sampling process showing work in progress shots of our hand embroideries on the frame.
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Once we have created a selection of samples we love, it’s time to make more!
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Babloo works on the Paisley Fern brooches. |
Basheer works on the Empress Dahlia |
With hand embroidery there are no automated processes. Each and every goldwork brooch and accessory is carefully and meticulously embroidered by hand by our team. Whilst Hand & Lock specialises in all kinds of embroidery techniques, our expertise is in goldwork and it plays a starring role in our Floral Anthology Collection.
We are proud that this collection celebrates the connection with our team in India and the close collaboration we share!
We are thrilled with the final collection and feel that it is a true celebration of the art of embroidery, combining heritage techniques with contemporary flare.
Shop A Floral Anthology soon! The collection will be launched on our newsletter and Instagram first so follow to keep up to date
Author: Liss Cooke
