history

Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear, at the Victoria and Albert Museum

September 2, 2022 by Intern

Masculine fashion, what does it look like to you? Menswear has evolved and changed over the years as society has developed along with international influence and the greater understanding of what masculinity means to us as individuals and designers. The Victoria and Albert Museum has masterfully curated this exhibition which guides you from the early European menswear, heavily influenced by the idealized chiseled Greek and roman gods, through to the French revolution and its influence on fashion, and then finally finishing in contemporary fashion and how designer’s look to challenge concepts and dissolve the boundaries of menswear.

This in depth exhibition really describes and allows you to understand the why’s and the how’s of menswear, it provides an abundance of information to really allow for you see the links between the period the clothes were worn and what the colours, styles, fabrics and connotations meant to the men as well as society. It gives you the information you thought you already knew, but allows you to see how general life influenced fashion and hopes to influence the public on how menswear is extremely characterful, and a constantly changing industry.

Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear, at the Victoria and Albert Museum London Hand Embroidery — Giorgio Armani 1994 – Cotton, Silk, Linen

The first room is full of many different topics. With one side showing 18th century under garments and an impressive Armani suit, and the other side overcoming dysphoria. Giorgio Armani’s approach to menswear derived from his respect and appreciation for the male figure – he stripped out the internal structure and let the fabric drape, aiming to reduce rigidity in the look and soften menswear.

For his from his spring summer collection 1996, Jean-Paul Gaultier printed images of clothes onto garments. However, this jacket on show displayed a male torso, a trend we are beginning to see more of in fashion recently.

The exhibition also addressed ‘man scaping’ and ‘body forming’, which is the use of elasticated fabrics to change the body’s form. Spanks, a company originally founded for women’s wear hosiery expanded in 2010 into menswear and allowed for diversity on the high street.

The history of the Jockstrap was also covered – how it was originally designed for cyclist’s and as the modern boxer briefs became tighter, the need for the jockstrap disappeared yet it still holds an erotic currency. Through visiting this exhibition we also learnt that GC2B was the first trans-owned company who produced binders; gender-affirming undergarments worn to flatten the chest which are used by a wide spectrum of transgender men and transmasculine, non-binary people.

The stereotypical ‘masculine’ body form of the greek god’s was adressed with towering sculptures of the male form on display, with reference to Hercules who is the archetype of strength and bravery. He is often depicted fighting or armed, yet the most famous portrayal of him shows him at rest, hinting at his emotions as well as showing his exaggerated physique. I find this quite interesting and telling of how the industry is growing along with the understanding and allowing of men’s emotional feelings, which is increasingly being shown in fashion.

Designers Virgil Abloh for Off-White, JW Anderson and Ludovic de Saint Sernin recreated the classical depictions of ‘The Three Graces’. For this they used sheer fabrics like organza and taffeta which are usually associated with womenswear, encouraging gender neutrality as a reality, not a trend.

Menswear for many centuries was flamboyant, colourful and full of flounce and lace to show wealth, power and status. Those who could afford to bring dyes over from America, Asia and Africa would want to show that they could, and so would wear the bright colours these dyes created. The colour pink, with rich hue’s of magenta was a sign of money, not of gender identity which it is seen as today. Lace and ribbons were also a highly common element of a man’s look, especially in the French courts. An English gentleman John Evelyn commented ‘that one youth had as much ribbon on him as would have plundered six shops… all his body was dres’t like a may pole’ – but now when we see a man dressed in bright colours or with added detail of delicate lace around the trim, we think it is a modern twist of the original straight forward men’s wear, how wrong could we be.

The ‘classical’ monochrome sleek men’s look we think of today started in Europe after rapid change as consequence of the French revolution 1789-99. Lavish Textiles and ornamentation still featured on womenswear, while the spirit of rationality reshaped menswear into a more practical form as men started to adopt a more practical and reserved attire. The industrialisation of cities like London and Paris saw the increase of soberly and uniformly dressed men, black became the new ‘trendy’ colour.

Tailors looked to exploit this by using one colour that allowed for emphasis on sculpting the human form and adding subtle detail, creating the new modern uniform of the men’s suit which was accessible for all. This monochromatic dress suit is the epitome of masculine fashion, however contemporary designers are looking at how to combine masculine and feminine styles together, a very exciting concept!

Within this exhibition there is so much more to unwrap and discover. If you have found this blog has interested you in learning more about modern menswear as well as the history of men’s fashion, we would highly recommend you take a trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum to see it for yourself!

Thank you to the Victoria and Albert Museum for such a great exhibition. Finishing November 2022.

Words by Amelia Vance.

Ceremonial Embroidery

April 7, 2022 by Connie Mabbott

Embroidery is a popular addition for university, legal and military ceremonial dress for robes and uniforms. For small scale commissions from private enthusiasts to full sets of robes for well know heritage companies Hawthorne & Heaney have the privilege of working on ceremonial embroidery for projects all over the world.

Ceremonial Embroidery London Hand Embroidery — Gold cut work cuff embroidery

We pride ourselves on our ability to produce traditional cut work and purl embroidery at home and overseas with reliable lead times and faultless quality. Our experts have over 40 years experience in the ceremonial gold work industry making our product and service unparalleled.

In contrast to this we also run a digital embroidery workshop and are able to offer incredible results, with extremely short lead times. With lots of experimentation we have developed our own unique way to create the traditional hand embroidery and gold work effects using the digital process. These techniques and skills are what gives our small team the ability to produce stunning, large scale pieces within a very tight turn around.

If you wish to get in touch with us about embroidery for ceremonial dress, head to our contact page for our contact details and we will be delighted to help with your enquiry.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits Peru: A Journey in Time

February 8, 2022 by Intern

Independent, isolated yet highly developed. The Andean people challenge contemporary ideas of what makes a successful society, yet their civilisation began 3,500years ago (900 to 200 BC). The British Museum’s exhibition ‘Peru: a journey in time’ intrinsically integrates the different Andean communities in chronological order yet still allowing for an organic integration of life, death and rebirth which is poignant to the lives of the indigenous communities.

We must understand the connection the Andean people had with the land, which was shown predominately with symbols in their artwork, for example this cloth showing the three diverse landscapes the communities lived from, the rainforest, the mountains, and the ocean.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits Peru: A Journey in Time London Hand Embroidery — A piece of cloth, with hand painted symbols of the land. The bird feathers representing the rainforest, the circular shapes showing the mountains and the lakes and the waves for the Pacific Ocean.

They were incredibly resourceful from the sea and cultivated the land for crops, showing great technological innovation and communities that were rich in knowledge. However, unlike modern day cultivation they do not just take the resources, what is so beautiful about the Andean culture is that they believe that nature is a living being. ‘Sustaining all life, woven into the shared belief system of which the natural and supernatural worlds are intimately connected’. Many objects in the exhibition show this intimate connection through the divine beings embodying the power of plants and animals, reflecting how nature supplied for the needs of society.

An Andean understanding of time is contradicting to that of a western perception. The belief that past, present and future are directly interconnected and happening at the same moment is for us almost incomprehensible and disrupts almost everything we base our cultural beliefs on! The Andean people take the living past into the present which influences the future. The importance of respecting ancestors and ensuring a safe passage into the afterlife is integral to the communities.

Just dissecting this remarkable piece of textiles, we can take so much information about the funerary rituals. Firstly, the severed heads which represent the importance to the afterlife, it is suggested that the heads were taken from the sacrificial rituals which then developed into the life-giving ceremonies. The life-giving ceremonies were when the life force of individuals were symbolically extracted to maintain balance in the neutral cycle of life, enforcing this further the heads are sometimes depicted with plants sprouting from the skulls to show the interdependence of life and death.

Deities, were how the ancestors and mythical beings were depicted with head dresses on, nose pieces and accessories which gave them animal type features showing the strong link with nature. This style of dressing was not just depicted in the artwork to honour the ancestor, but also worn by the living bringing the deities to life.

Textiles also played a large role in respecting the dead and the ancestors. Skilled and trained weavers were sourced to create the most beautiful, patterned textiles to wrap the dead body, usually being much more complex weaving methods and finer fabrics used for the dead rather than the living who wore practical everyday cloth. The Textile industry was proof of technological innovation in society, being a collaborative activity, the trade was passed down to workers who would train for years to perfect their skill and improve their knowledge.

Sacrifice and Ritual were dominant methods of respecting the ancestors, pleasing the gods and ‘maintaining a balance between the natural and supernatural worlds’. Ritual battles provided this, the indigenous communities didn’t fight to expand territory but used soldiers in a Moche ceremony of ritual battle. In which pairs of finely dressed warriors engaged in hand two hand combat, the losing warrior was stripped and taken to the mountains to be sacrificed.

Hallucinogenic plants were used extensively and were an important part of Nasca ritual, it allowed individuals to transform into different states of being and transcend time. This was visible in the artworks and ceramics of the communities giving the individuals the ability to really aline with their belief of life, death and rebirth being connected so deeply.

The exhibition expresses all these elements of Andean life and culture in such a respectful and informative way I felt myself gliding round the room mesmerised by each fact and admiring such an enduring culture and community who lived through colonisation from the west. It truly is remarkable and really telling of how deep rooted and powerful their traditions were to survive western repression and rule and still be seen to be practised today, 200 years after gaining independence again from Spain.

‘In many ways, past traditions inform present practise, and the enduring belief that humans are a part of the living landscape helps to shape our shared future. The objects in the exhibition connect this narrative and provide a brief glimpse of these remarkable societies from whom there is so much to learn’. The last message from the Exhibition curators as you leave the exhibition, which I felt summed the whole display up wonderfully.

Thank you to the British Museum for this remarkable exhibition, if you found this interesting then I strongly suggest you visit the exhibition and see the artifacts for yourself! Closing 20^th February 2022.

Photos and Words by Amelia Vance

Hawthorne & Heaney goes to London Craft Week

May 21, 2018 by Eleanor Rowlands

What were you doing last week? Specifically 9-13 May. Did you manage to catch London Craft Week? Well, it’s alright if you missed it, because we are here to share with you what we did and learned!

This festival that spans across London celebrates British and international creativity. Covering a vast range of disciplines, it brought together over 200 established and emerging makers, designers, brands and galleries from around the world.

We started our journey in the heart of English bespoke tailoring- Savile Row. The Row that is entrenched deep in history, famous worldwide, houses over 100 craftsman in more than a dozen bespoke tailoring business. It is a community that not only produces the esteemed English luxurious product but is active in training new craftsman. We had the chance to attend an hour-long masterclass pattern cutting at Henry Poole & Co. In the brief hour, taught by one of the cutters about dinner jackets, he engaged us on the construction of the trouser pattern. First, measurement was taken off a gentleman in the room, then he moved onto crafting the pattern. Primarily using the Centre Front Centre Back cutting system, where scales and mathematics are used to give proportions so as to draft for the body of the customer.

Hawthorne & Heaney goes to London Craft Week London Hand Embroidery — Dinner Suit Trouser Pattern Cutting Process | Image: Hawthorne & Heaney

After the hour, we gained a heightened respect for the craft of tailoring. Behind one jacket, it involves roughly 10 artisans, who engage in the making of the various sections of the garment. They perfect the moulding and shaping of the fabric so that it sits perfectly on the body. Bespoke tailoring suits are certainly a class of their own in both elegance and comfort.

Next, we ventured down to Sloane Square, to discover Maria Svarbova’s photography series that was the inspiration behind Delpozo Spring Summer 2018 ‘Musicalia’ collection. We were blown away by the beautiful photographs, that has this retro-futuristic. The artist describes the series as having a sense of ‘artificial detachment’, although set in a retro environment, ‘the pictures somehow evoke a futuristic feeling as well, as if they were taken somewhere completely alien.’, the moment is frozen in time. In addition, the symmetrical composition enhances the ethereal quality.

Looking at the collection alongside the photographs, there is much resemblance in the colour palette. Creative director, Josep Font skillfully translated the swimming pool blue that ripples throughout the photographs, into the choice of the fabric and embroidery. Complimenting them with pastel shades of yellow, pink, and definitely the shocking red, there is a sense of a dreamlike atmosphere.

In addition, the geometric lines and stillness of the pool, reminds us of the intimate atmosphere at the atelier; cool, architectural and beautiful, a style synonym with the brand.

Lastly, we headed to the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize at the Design Museum, that will be held till 17 June. This exhibition best summarises craft and artistic endeavours all over the world. Exhibiting a range of international works that stretch across practices, such as ceramics, papercraft, woodwork to jewellery. Entering the exhibition, visitors are provided with an audio guide, that gives a detailed explanations about the works, aiding further appreciation and understanding of the craft in view.

One theme that ran throughout all the works exhibited is that there are continued efforts made to revive traditional techniques alongside pushing the boundaries of the skill. An example is a winning piece by Jennifer Lee, who mixed metallic oxides into clay to create colour, a technique that she discovered. Complimenting this avant-garde colouring technique, with an ancient practice of pinching and coiling clay, it resulted in the creation of a beautiful speckled surface. The varying gradient of bands that encircle the piece, resembles time frozen between traditional and contemporary.

Another work, that we truly appreciate is by Takuro Kuwata’s Tea Bowl. Unlike traditional potters, who often aims to hide any cracks in their work, Kuwata defies that norm. He enhances the impression of chaos, that is natural to the unpredictable nature of ceramics, by making it the feature point of his work. By combining porcelain with platinum and steel, he challenges the possibility of materials. The melted and crack surface of the work is complemented with the saturated green patina, that makes the work contemporary and elegant.

Embroidery is also celebrated at this exhibition! Richard McVetis, who is captivated by the meditative nature of the process, draws with needle and thread. He embroidered sixty cubes over the duration of sixty hours, materialising time into something tactile and visual.

Perched on 60 beams, the 60 cubes remind me of the globe of islands, but in a square. It is a rather fun way of curating the world and plays on the idea that the world is not round but square.

London Craft Week is truly a celebration of hands that spans multiple disciplines. It makes us cherish and esteem the time and energy that goes into crafting beautiful objects. Unlike mass produced items that are often regarded as disposable, the work of the hand interweaves personal stories and beauty into everything made. In this age of mass consumption and disposal, we are glad that there is a renaissance in the appreciation of creativity and craft worldwide. We at Hawthorne & Heaney, are definitely standing behind that resurgence and hope to safeguard the shared heritage of craft.

Hawthorne & Heaney goes to Ocean Liners: Speed and Style

May 3, 2018 by Eleanor Rowlands

Spanning across 8 rooms the V&A museum’s exhibition, Ocean Liners: Speed and Style, takes us back to an era of opulence and lifestyle travel. Walls painted in moody grey tones, wooden floors, all paired with ocean sounds create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.

Starting off with a brief history of ocean liners and their links to immigration they quickly move forward to when immigration quotas were introduced,and the start of the liners we came to know today. Bold display of large posters and magazines advertising trips and destinations adorned the walls, these originally were to entice the people with money, advertising this lifestyle of travel and luxury that previously they had turned their noses up at. All of the posters touched on a feeling of brightness and a new modern age.

As you walk around the first room there are models of ships and detailed drawings of the impressive building these companies invested in to further enhance this idyllic way of travel.

Moving on through, the exhibition touches more upon the furniture and interior design of these magnificent ships many of which were inspired by the arts and craft movement and often a showcase of the country’s goods, such as the British Queen Mary was a showcase of British woods. Wall panels and furniture, mainly chairs, continued through the exhibition as these are a good way of tracking style change within eras. There was a sense of nostalgia in each of the rooms, as videos of life on these ships are played throughout.

Further on through they discuss the importance of liners throughout World War 1 and 2 as troop transport and delivering supplies and the addition of new engineering advancements to the liners as aircraft travel superseded them. There is also a Wooden panel fragment from an over-door in the first-class lounge on Titanic.

Embroidery and craftsmanship were very apparent throughout, even more so when it came to the last section which focused more on the liners as they became a vacation/leisure activity. This is when deck chairs were being introduced, lounging by the pool became popular and games such a deck curling were installed on deck.

Amongst the collection of swimwear, and Louis Vuitton luggage cases are outfits and objects from Miss Emilie Grigsby, a well travelled American socialite, who’s wardrobe is not only stunning but ahead of the times in many aspects.

Overall the exhibition is nostalgic and beautiful with a large mix of tastes and periods, taking influence from various cultures. We would definitely say this is one not to miss as it is a masterclass in style.

The Ocean Liners: Speed and Style will be running at the V&A until Sunday 17th June. Prices are £18.00 for an adult and £15.00 for a student with concession tickets available.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits Scythians: Warriors of ancient Siberia

February 8, 2018 by Natasha Searls-Punter

We like to keep our interests broad here at Hawthorne & Heaney so The British Museum’s current exhibition, Scythians: Warriors of ancient Siberia, looked appealing to us. On from the 14th September 2017 to the 14th January 2018 it looks at the nomadic tribes who flourished between 800 and 200 BC, displaying various examples of their gold jewellery, clothing, weapons and living equipment.

The exhibition is spread across 4 large rooms, with carefully illustrated videos and child friendly sections of signage. Whilst walking round there is a subtle soundtrack of wind blowing playing in all the room to really add effect the the visuals you see.

It starts off with a little introduction about the Scythians, which was a collective name for different tribes that spoke Iranian, and shared a similar lifestyle and dress. Little has been previously known about these people who controlled a vast region of northern China all the way to the Black sea, as they had no written language, but since burial sites have been found and the permafrost preserved most objects scientist and historians have started to piece together a look into their life.

They were sophisticated crafts people and fearsome warriors who lived in tents and herded sheep, tradition was a focal point around whatever they did, as they used to bury the dead with all they needed for the afterlife. They had a strong bond with their own horses and often they were buried along with the owners as they believed the bond carried through to the afterlife.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits Scythians: Warriors of ancient Siberia London Hand Embroidery — Scythians with horses under a tree. Gold belt plaque. Siberia, 4th–3rd century BC. © The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, 2017. Photo: V Terebenin.

The jewellry on display was stunning gold that was usually either hammered and polished by hand or cast using a technique using cloth and clay. Gold was associated with the sun and power and most of the scenes buckles and decorative horse saddles depicted were scenes of mythical animals killing ordinary animals, this was believed to symbolise concern over preservation of world order. The items are remarkably well preserved and some still contain their original turquoise or blue glass inlays.

Opposite these there is a bit of information about Tsar Peter the first, who sent exhibitions to southern Siberia and found the burial sites. After this he ordered anything gold found around there was to be sent to him,where he documented and recorded and stored all the items. Some of the watercolours used to document the items are also on display.

What I found most interesting was the clothing and textiles that were displayed. One of the burial sites that was found contained what they believed to be a Chief and his wife. The clothing was elaborately decorated with punched, gold crouching panther pieces and a lot of the fur that they wore, a variety of squirrel, leopard, and other animals, was dyed using traditional natural dyes such as indigo and cochineal. Other items of particular interest were the highly decorated shoes, head gear and the fake beards the men were buried with.

The beards were of particular speculation because scans and the preservation of the mummified bodies showed that they were often clean shaven and both men and women were heavily tattooed. Applique onto woolen items were heavily featured as well although these didn’t survived as well as others.

What tribes they couldn’t make and produce themselves they traded and stole from other tribes. The most highly prized item was Chinese patterned silk, some of these fragments have survived. The exhibition also touches on the weapons and armour that was used, the bond with their horses and the influences from other cultures such as the Greeks, and Persians. Eventually they were superseded by other nationalities and tribes as new traditions got introduced the old ones vanished and formed what we know as the mongol tribes and others.

Over all the exhibition is really informative and covers a wide variety of interests and is running till the 14th January 2018 at The British Museum.

All photos are from The British Museum Blog.

Hawthorne & Heaney :Dismantling of a Victorian Mourning Shawl

January 18, 2018 by Eleanor Rowlands

WHO, WHAT & WHY?

Hawthorne & Heaney was given the Victorian shawl by Sue Thomas from Savile Row bespoke.

HISTORY

In the Victorian era, black was considered the appropriate colour to be worn when mourning the loss of a loved one and in some cultures, this is still the case today. It is believed that the mourning attire was a protection against negative thoughts. By wearing the colour black it also informed family, friends and acquaintances that the wearer had recently lost someone close to them and was a warning not to approach them within this sad period of time. For women, the fashion symbolised the depth of affliction with the colour of clothing indicating the gradual return from black to bold clothing through the hues of purple and violet, this was recognised as the second stage of mourning. The length of time Victorian women wore mourning garments varied on the degree of relationship with the deceased from a week up to a year.

DISMANTLING OF THE SHAWL

The dismantling of the shawl was a very long process as parts of the shawl was originally constructed using an embroidery technique called tambour beading. Tambour is French for drum and is done by using a hook where the fabric is stretched as tight as a drum. The fabric can be stretched by being sewn onto a rectangular frame or placed in a wooden hoop. The Tambour hook makes a chain stitch in a technical order where it will keep each bead securely in place. If the knot or process of the tambour chain stitch was to be done incorrectly then the whole beadwork would come undone. Depending on your experience using the Tambour technique beads can be secured in place very fast this is why a lot of fashion houses such as Dior are well known for using this technique in order to get garments completed on a tight time schedule. To get each bead loose from the shawl the embroidery stitches were cut allowing the bead to be free. Once all the beads were eventually dismantled from the Victorian shawl they were sorted into bags so all the same beads were neatly secured and measured ready to be used again. Below you are able to see photographs of sections from the shawl being dismantled.

NEW PURPOSE

It is very important to Hawthorne & Heaney that the beads are used in another exciting project. This is because of the heritage behind this shawl and the construction that went into the making of it was exquisite. With the shawl being so old it was beginning to fall apart and unable to be restored therefore there was no other option but to take it apart and store the beads safely away until we find a project that will give them a new purpose. We are unsure currently what that project will be but we are sure we will know when the time comes.

Hawthorne & Heaney for Diana: Designing a Princess BBC Documentary

March 23, 2017 by Hasina Akther

2017 sees the 20th anniversary of the tragic death of our beloved Diana, Princess of Wales. To mark the anniversary, BBC Two has made a documentary called ‘Diana: Designing a Princess’ to celebrate the Princesses sense of style and fashion. Hawthorne and Heaney are excited and grateful to say we played a small part in this by embroidering section titles for the documentary.

As one of the most famous women on the planet, this programme traces the evolution of the Princess’s style, ‘from the demure, romantic outfits of her first public appearances’.

To her playing the role of a ‘fairy tale princess’

She captured the hearts of the world and elevated to the ‘glamour, elegance and confidence of her later life’.

Princess Diana Dancing with John Travolta on her visit to America at President Reagan’s White House Gala in 1985.

The BBC2 documentary is presented by Brenda Emmanus, BBC’s Art, Culture and Entertainment correspondent and was produced in collaboration with the Historic Royal Places. Brenda looks at some of Diana’s ‘most celebrated and exquisite dresses’, which have been brought together for a new exhibition at Kensington Palace – open from 24th February 2017 and runs until March 2018.

Brenda then visits the Conservation Studio at Hampton Court Palace as the dresses are prepared for display.

She hears from historians, cultural commentators and the designers who dressed Diana, including Elizabeth Emanuel, Victor Edelstein and David Sassoon. Exhibition curator Eleri Lynn says that Diana, was ‘an excellent silent communicator through her clothes’ and this can be noted in the so called ‘Revenge Dress’ she unveiled on the night Prince Charles admitted adultery.

Diana broke away from the traditional image of royal outfits and created her own image as a modern princess.

This year, the Princess would have turned 56, which seems unimaginable and this exhibition and documentary is a perfect way to understand Diana’s fashion choices and to celebrate Diana.

The documentary is still available to watch on BBC TWO.

References:

Historical Royal Places – http://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/visit-us/top-things-to-see-and-do/diana-her-fashion-story/#gs.TxGK4KA

History of Royal Women – http://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/diana-princess-of-wales/diana-princess-waless-fashion-legacy-celebrated-kensington-palace/

The Telegraph – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/02/25/diana-designing-princess-provokes-mixed-emotions-review/

Marie Claire – http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/princess-diana-s-dresses-the-truth-behind-her-most-famous-fashion-moments-116675

Vanity Fair – http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/09/john-travolta-princess-diana-dance-memory