Time is often not on your side when creating embroidery for the stage, screen and catwalk, says The London Embroidery Studio, whose work has appeared internationally in block buster films, on stage, in TV series and on the catwalks of couture houses through to the new generation of designers.
“Often lead times can be extremely short, so having suppliers on hand to provide the appropriate fabric for a test design, a last minute photographic shoot, or the final embroidery, is vital, says Andy Kenny, founder of The London Embroidery Studio, which will have a slot in the presentations at The Luxury Fabric Show (3pm, Wednesday 14 October; 9am and 11am, Thursday 15 October).
The studio’s work spans creating a new fabric, collection embroidery – whether it is a statement piece or production ready panels – through to developing a complete brand identity based around craft with embroidery at the heart.
“The brief is always different and most of the time urgent, but the standard is always the same,” adds Kenny. “And understanding the difference between creating a design appropriate for the various media is imperative.
“For film and TV, the camera gets closer than any audience ever will so it will pick out a floral detail on a frock coat, the goldwork on a coat of arms pennant or the crest on a pocket. On stage, the opposite is true and demands that embellishment is bold and threads shimmer and catch the light. We work in both worlds and understand exactly what each requires to add value to the production.”
From a bespoke toile de jouy lace with robot and dinosaur motifs and sculptural stretch sequin panels to machine beading, coiling, foiling, leather quilting and surface texture development for luxury brands is the range of the work the studio undertakes.
“It can begin from a client’s mood board, sketch, a reference image, or sometimes just a conversation about a feeling they are trying to create,” says Kenny.
The Studio has worked with award-winning costume designers such as Colleen Atwood and Paul Tazewell, contributed to productions including Napoleon, Gladiator II, Wicked: The Movie and Project Hail Mary, working with studios including HBO, Netflix, Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros. TV series such Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Witcher, His Dark Materials, Wolf Hall, The Great and next year, the new Harry Potter series, also star its creations.
On stage, credits include Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Wicked, Sister Act, Jersey Boys, Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Oklahoma and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and the Royal Opera House on Cinderella.
The fashion clients range from Edward Crutchley to Dior, JW Anderson, Loewe and Victoria Beckham to current stars Wales Bonner, Tolu Coker, Charles Jeffrey, Casablanca, Pangaia and Sinéad O’Dwyer.
