sequins

Hawthorne & Heaney for H&M Bespoke- Tusse Eurovision 21

May 27, 2021 by Natasha Searls-Punter

A few years ago, we had the opportunity to work the the bespoke devision of H&M on an unusual project which would push our embroidery materials further than we had gone beofre. With them we developed these starburst from a combination of goldwork bullion, swarovski crystals, sequins, beads and most excitingly: reflective threads.

When the flash is on, you can really see these catch the light- perfect for an onstage performance.

Each one is built up out of the surface of the fabric for even more impact.

Up close, you get more of a sense of the detail that went into these piece with the pearle purl edging, raised cutwork purls, bugle beads and sequins coming into view. Playing with the textures to add interest however the light fall on them.

Now we have got to see the project brought to its conclusion when they were feautured as part of the outfit for Sweden’s entry to Eurovision Rotterdam 2021: Tusse. Worn as detatched black sleeves to his red velvet suit, the crystal and reflective thread made quite an impression during the performance. image courtesy of @tusseofc

Follow the link to see the full video of Tusse and the sleeves ‘in action’ during the Eurovision Final 2021.

Hawthorne& Heaney on CSM BA 2016

July 8, 2016 by Natasha Searls-Punter

As the academic year is coming to an end, Central Saint Martins, a college in University of the Arts London have hosted their whole school degree show. The university has been transformed into exhibition rooms presenting a small selection of every student’s final collection.

CSM Degree Shows 2016

Each department have presented their work in an appropriate way from glamorous fairy lights in BA Jewellery design to sturdy pieces of scaffolding in BA Fashion. Some stunning examples of embroidery were presented from the BA Fashion students, and as expected all collections portrayed real hard work and creativity to be individual and stand out from the crowd.

BA Fashion – CSM Degree Shows 2016

Fashion student finalist Santiago Garcia Trias featured sequin embroidery heavily in his final collection forming very complicated areas of handmade sequins of all colours and textures.

Garment Close up – Santiago Garcia Trias – CSM Degree Shows 2016

A wide range of materials have been used to create this unusual surface for example metallic paint has been applied over the sequins to create an extra sheen. Santiago has contrasted the highly embellished areas with black silicone and rubber to create the structure of the garment. The close up above is a section of one of his works featuring a range of distorted summer florals. Each garment in his collection has a floral element, the emphasis on the contrast between busy embellishment plain dark fabric helps to emphasise the detail in the embroidery.

Santiago Garcia Trias – CSM Degree Shows 2016

Many of the students have chosen to concentrate on unusual techniques in their projects. Textile Design finalist Molly McAndrew has based her project on woven beadwork and tapestry weaving developing a range of samples using crystal beads from collection sponsors, Swarovski.

Exhibition Space – Molly McAndrew – CSM Degree Show 2016

The fashion accessory collection explores ‘The Adventures of Neko Chan and Gingham Man’ taking real inspiration from people in Japan. The geometric nature of the woven beadwork really creates an innocence and simplicity to the pieces in the collection and it is clear to see that the main influence is Japanese manga art in various forms. A very justifiable collection of work appreciating the laborious yet honourable work of an artisan.

Visualization – Molly McAndrew – CSM Degree Show 2016

As well as delicate intricate work catching the public’s eye throughout the exhibition CSM’s degree shows had a wide range of bold colourful pieces. Jina Park really explored the concept of large handmade sequin work throughout all of the garments in her final BA Fashion collection.

Jina Park – CSM Degree Show 2016

A wide range of paper materials have been used to create this heavily embellished neck piece. She has duplicated the same motif in a range of sizes and colours and used it throughout the collection.

Jina Park – CSM Degree Show 2016

Jina has made the sequins out of a reflective materials which really has really helped with portraying movement and fluidity in such big accessories. To see more garments from her collection visit www.jinapark.co.uk

By Philippa Martin

Hawthorne & Heaney for Ong Oaj Pairam

February 24, 2016 by Natasha Searls-Punter

With London Fashion Week well and truely underway, we thought we would share with you a little piece of Hawthorne & Heaney embroidery that made its way onto the catwalk. We worked with the Brighton based designer Ong Oaj Pairam on his AW2016 collection to produce a heavily encrusted, lace and crystal bodice.

It was a pretty quick turn around so we used all the tools at our disposal when we were developing the techniqies. The collection has a dark fairytale/ Victorian lost love theme which we worked into the designs. Using our CAD embroidery machine we developed lace like flower and leaf designs to build up a heavy base and compliment the sheen of the duchess satin on which they would be placed.

Along side this we experiemented with a variety of different sequin techniques for creating floral effects

Once this was all decided on then all there was left to do was to get stitching

We were really pleased with the effect, it felt very heavy to hold but wonderfully textured. When teamed with the jaquard trousers and sheer shirt from the rest of Pairam’s collection it really comes to life.

We hope you enjoy looking at this piece as much as we enjoyed working on it. Check in again with us to see what else we have been working on recently…

If you would like to see more from Ong Oaj Pairam, please visit his website

Hawthorne & Heaney for Clio Peppiatt at London Fashion Week

September 24, 2015 by Natasha Searls-Punter

Clio Peppiatt’s recent SS16 show at London Fashion Week in Soho entitled “Kiss the Future”, was a fun collection full of bright colours and texture. Featuring an array of embroidery and sequins, Clio’s collection was inspired by feminism; a topic continuously used to fuel her inspiration.

Youth culture, another reoccurring influence for Clio Peppiatt was dominant in the collection. With strong nods towards the future in outer space-inspired needlework, her aim to create unique and positive clothes that make women feel happy, bold and fearless was clear in her most current collection.

Hawthorne & Heaney were commissioned to make of a pair of Saturn planets for a baby-pink cord jacket. The badges were all hand stitched, with iridescent sequins used for the embellished centre of the planets, and a combination of satin stitch and gold work for the rings.

The embroidered badges turned out beautifully and looked stunning on the pink jacket, the piece that truly represented the collection title, “Kiss the Future”.

For more imagery of show, follow Clio Peppiatt on instagram: @cliopeppiatt or visit her website here.

Hawthorne and Heaney: Tambour vs. Ari Beading

October 10, 2014 by Natasha Searls-Punter

One question we get asked a lot at H&H is the differences between Tambour and Ari beading, technical differences, the pros and cons of each and which is faster. Both tambour and Ari work off of the same principals of applying beads to fabric using a specialised hook. Using the hook a chain stitch is created through a twisting motion of the tool allowing the beads to be applied in a continuous line.

Tambour is the name given to this kind of work in the west, and is believed to have come for the french word ‘Tambour’ as in drum because of the fabric is stretched in the frame. Ari is the name used in the East, countries such as India and Pakistan have a rich history of using this technique for sari making.

In Tambour, the beads are loaded up onto the thread first and then the piece is worked on from the wrong side (back) so any guides are only applied to the reverse. This means that you can work on a continuous thread until you finish the area, which makes it very quick, avoiding any unnecessary starting and stopping. One challenge with Tambour however is that you can not really see the work while you are working on it unless the material is particularly transparent which some people find more difficult. In Ari the beads are loaded onto the hook itself so you would load up as many as is comfortable onto the hook, work with them, release the thread, reload the hook and begin again. This allows you to work on the right side of the fabric and see the beads as they are applied but does require you to stop and start as the beads are used up.

There is also some differences in the tools used for these two stitches, the Tambour hook is placed into a holder, usually wooden which allows the size of the hook to be changed according to the work in hand. Notice that the hook is quite long in itself and almost closed to help it to pass freely through the fabric without snagging. The Ari hook is set into a metal or wooden holder so can not be changed between jobs although they too also come in different sizes. The hook part itself is wide but tiny to allow the beads to slip off when applied and to pass through the fabric easily.

Both techniques are not just restricted to beads, they can also be used to create the chain stitch allow as a decoration in its own right or to apply sequins instead of beads. As to the question of which is better, that is down to the creator to decide as to which they are more comfortable with, the effect in the end is almost identical.

If you would like to learn more about these couture beading techniques, have a look at the London Embroidery School website for classes and courses on Tambour Beading as well as a way to purchase the Tambour and Ari hooks shown above.

KANYE WEST

October 21, 2011 by Claire Sarah Barrett

This season the studio has been busy with a particularly interesting client with an exciting brief. We had to keep the project confidential during production but are now very excited to be able to share some photographs of the outcome.

We were approached by Louise Goldin’s team on behalf of Kanye West, and asked to advise on the design and production of an embroidered ladies jacket. This would be part of Mr West’s first catwalk collection to be shown during Paris Fashion Week 2011. With a tight lead time of two weeks this project had to be undertaken in our UK studio, enabling our team to respond quickly to the necessary revisions to the design whilst maintaining the exacting standards required for such an intricate piece.

A project like this required a huge amount of preparation, for example each one of the 1028 PP32 Swarowski crystals were placed in their settings by hand by the team.

In collaboration with Mr West’s team we produced a fully embroidered, diamante and beaded jacket depicting a tiger’s jaw and head markings.

This was an exhilarating and challenging project to be involved with and we thoroughly enjoyed working with Mr West and his team.