3 minute read
Embroidery
I am a bespoke hand embroidery designer with an enthusiasm for research. I have a passion for creating pattern through colour and texture by the updating and reinventing of traditional I specialize in Goldwork to promote the fine art of embroidery whilst preserving the timeless craft. I enjoy looking to the past for creative insight and understanding traditions to inform new creations with a contemporary quality.
Alex Standring
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I graduated from the RSN degree programme in 2018 with a 1st class BA(Hons) in Hand Embroidery for Fashion, Interiors, Textile Art and since graduating I have put my embroidery skills to use within bespoke costume and luxury fashion industries.
Soon after graduating I was approached by the embroidery designer Cathryn Avison to assist with her with specialist Goldwork embroidery which is featured on three different costumes for the recently released live action remake of Disney’s ‘Mulan’ film.
The most notable costume which I was delighted to work on was Mulan’s purple and
pink matchmaker costume.
After freelancing for the London based haute couture fashion company Ralph & Russo in summer 2018, I was then asked to join the Embroidery & Finishing team fulltime.
During my time at the company, I have worked on three of their haute couture collections which were all shown in Paris during Haute Couture Fashion Week, along with many client and celebrity orders.
I have found that working within this prestigious luxury industry is both exhilarating and extraordinary yet requires hard-work and long hours of dedication.
In 2018 I entered my ‘Final Major Project’ collection titled ‘Faith & Fears’ into the esteemed Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery competition and was delighted to receive both the 1st prize in the Student Textile Art category and the Goldwork Award given by The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers (GSWD).
The competition process compromised of first submitting a series of 6 digital images/mood boards which showed my research, design journey, embroidery samples and overall vision for the complete embroidery piece.
After being selected as a finalist I was paired up with a mentor named Diana Springall and this was a wonderful opportunity to work with an industry specialist who could give guidance towards the final submission.
At the awards ceremony, all the finalists’ work was exhibited for guests and members of the public to view and vote for their favourites to win.
My award-winning sculptural and wearable headdresses explore the idea of the conflict and contrast between the two themes of faith and fear and takes inspiration from the
Byzantine mosaics in Sicily and my phobia of spiders.
Through intricate designs and use of traditional and modern embroidery, the pieces show how my fears areovercome by changing the perspective to instead make them into something exquisite and beautiful. “Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” (Nikos Kazantzakis, n.d.)
I kept in contact with the GSWD after the Hand & Lock competition and I was pleased to be asked to join the company.
I was made a ‘Trade Freeman’ of the company in January 2020. The GSWD is one of London’s many charitable Livery Companies and prides itself on creating a community in which crafts and skills may be shared and exhibited whilst bringing trades people together.
I will be looking forward to getting involved more with the company’s activities in the coming years, unfortunately many planned events had to be cancelled this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation.
To Contact Alex Email: alexstandring@outlook.com Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexstandring-041838162/ Instagram: @a_s_embroidery www.instagram.com/ a_s_embroidery/
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