At Hand & Lock, we’re always looking out for exciting new opportunities to share the magic of hand embroidery with more people and our recent collaboration with BAFTA-winning costume house Angels Costumes has been nothing short of spectacular. If you’re a fan of film, fashion or embroidery, this is one collaboration you’ll want to hear about!
The Beginning of a Dream Collaboration
Back in early 2024, we had the chance to visit Angels to explore the idea of working together on an embroidery course. Angels is legendary in the costume world, having supplied costumes for some of the most iconic film and TV productions in history. Walking through their archives - an astonishing 8 miles of costumes on rails - was an experience we’ll never forget. The scale of it all is simply breath taking. We were given the grand tour by the brilliant Shelley Clifton, who has been an incredible support to both Freya and me throughout this entire process. Her knowledge and enthusiasm made the whole collaboration even more special.
As we wandered through the principal costume section - where leading lady and gentleman costumes from major productions are kept - we stumbled upon a stunning 1950s evening gown covered in exquisite gold sequin and bead embroidery. The motifs and materials on the dress were just too good not to use for our course. After getting the go-ahead from Shelley, we rushed back to the Hand & Lock studio to create a design inspired by this beautiful piece.
Setting Up at Angels
Fast forward to early 2025 and our first external collaboration course of the year was finally here! The day before the course we packed up all our materials and headed over to Angels where we set up in a gorgeous design studio with huge windows letting in floods of natural light. This studio is home to resident costume designers working on incredible projects, and it felt really special to be teaching embroidery in the very space where costumes for legendary productions have been created.
On the first morning of the course, our students arrived full of excitement and were each gifted a copy of Behind the Seams, Angels’ incredible book on their history and craftsmanship. We got stuck into our embroidery right away, accompanied by the familiar hum of creativity that is so often felt in iconic establishments like Angels. At the midpoint of our day we were treated to a private tour of Angels, led by the wonderful Molly, who was full of fascinating insights. It was a truly unforgettable experience for all of us, seeing the sheer scale of their operation and the incredible craftsmanship that goes into each and every piece they create.
Three Days of Embroidery Bliss
Over the next two days, we taught our students the techniques used in the original 1950s dress, stitching away while listening to music and chatting. The atmosphere was perfect - relaxed, creative and full of inspiration. Teaching in such an incredible space made the experience even more meaningful and it was wonderful to see our students enjoying every moment. Here’s what some of them had to say about the course:
“I was super pleased with the course and overall really happy with the information and content that we covered. Both Freya and Lucy were amazing tutors and were very informative and helpful. Overall, such lovely people who created such a creative and calm environment. I was amazed with the tour of Angels as well, Molly was a great tour guide and it was an incredible experience. I was also really pleased with the materials provided and with the number of techniques we were able to learn. I can’t wait to potentially do another course and have recommended Hand & Lock to friends!” - Abigail Moore
“Loved every part of it, the tour of Angels was incredible and I haven't stopped thinking about it! Such an inspiring place to be, it felt really welcoming and everyone was so helpful. The course was wonderful, Lucy and Freya are excellent, patient teachers who create a lovely environment to work in. I loved the design and having the beautiful inspiration dress in the room with us. I really enjoyed learning new techniques and discovering new ways to use existing skills. Thank you Lucy, Freya, Shelley, Molly and everyone at Angels for having us!” - Grace Gately
“I particularly liked the fact that the design and techniques we were doing were based on a costume from Angels, so we could see how the combination of techniques could create a full embroidered piece for costume. I loved the course and really enjoyed being at Angels, and getting the tour around the facilities was fascinating!” - Sophie Morris
"Angels were delighted to collaborate with Hand & Lock in hosting a three day course based on one of our original period dresses. The students that took part were a delight and were ably led by Lucy & Freya who managed the whole process without any fuss or disruption. I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed their time with us and we can’t wait to do it all again!" - Shelley Clifton, Angels Costumes
Want to Work With Us?
This course was such a special experience, and we can’t wait to bring more collaborations like this to life. If you’re part of a museum, costume house, school, university or any other institution that would love to work with us on an embroidery project, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch at school@handembroidery.com - we’re always up for a new adventure in stitch.
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If you fancy experiencing Angels Costumes for yourself, don’t forget that all our students on this course receive a guided tour as part of the experience! Keep an eye on our website for upcoming dates, and we hope to stitch with you soon.
See more about Angels Costumes here
Author: Lucy Martin
