CURRICULUMN VITAE
Alex is an award-winning bespoke Hand Embroidery practitioner for fashion, costume and textile art. Originally from the Lake District, Alex made the move to London when she started her training at the Royal School of Needlework. She specializes in the historic and prestigious Goldwork technique to showcase the fine art of embroidery whilst also ensuring the timeless craft is not lost. She has a passion for creating pattern through colour and texture by the updating and reinventing of traditional embroidery skills with the exploration of unconventional materials.
Relevant Experience
2023-Current
Tamara Ralph
Freelance Senior Hand Embroiderer.
Embroidery for private clients, celebrities and their Haute Couture SS24, AW24/5 and SS25 Collections.
2024
2023
2022-2024
2020-2021
2018-2019
2018
2017-2018
2017
2016
Safiyaa
Freelance Hand Embroiderer.
Embroidery for their wholesale orders.
Goldwork Embroidery Tutor
Creation and delivery of a 4-part Goldwork course.
Cathryn Avison
Goldwork & Hand Embroidery for Film & TV Series. Including HBO's The Regime, Universal Pictures' Wicked, Gladiator II and HBO's House of the Dragon (Season 2).
Ralph and Russo
Freelance Hand Embroiderer.
Ralph and Russo
Full-Time Hand Embroiderer Working in the Haute Couture Embroidery Finishing Team.
Embroidery for their private clients and Haute Couture AW19/20, SS19 & AW18/19 Collections.
Cathryn Avison
Goldwork Embroidery for Disney's Mulan (2020).
M Industry London
Internship, Hand & Machine Embroidery Assistant.
Alexander McQueen
Hand Embroidery for their AW17 Pre-Collection.
Zandra Rhodes
Finishing of Garments for Private Clients.
Game of Thrones
Collaborative Hand Embroidery & Mixed Media.
Large Installation to Mark the Release of Season 6.
Hussein Chalayan
Hand Embroidery for their RTW AW16 Collection.
Exhibitions
2024
The Broderers' Exhibition: The Art of Embroidery
Bankside Gallery (London)
BOUND: An Embroiderer's Story
The Department Store, Brixton (London)
2023
Treasures of Gold and Silver Wyre
The Guildhall Art Gallery (London)
2022
Drawn and Formed
The Goldsmith’s Centre (London)
150 Years of the Royal School of Needlework: Crown to Catwalk
The Fashion and Textile Museum (London)
2021
Emma Hunt’s Summer Exhibition of Cumbrian Creatives
The Rum Story (Whitehaven)
2018
Hand & Lock: The Prize
Bishopsgate Institute (London)
New Designers
Business Design Centre (London)
RSN Degree Show
Hampton Court Palace (Surrey)
2017
Knitting & Stitching Show
Alexandra Palace (London), Harrogate and Ireland
Off the Surface
Devon of Guild Craftsmen (Bovey Tracey)
2016
Knitting & Stitching Show
Kensington Olympia (London)
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Awards/Competitions
2020
2018
Emerge Competition
(Carlisle Hope Festival), Shortlisted.
Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers Award
Best Goldwork Embroidery in the Hand & Lock The Prize Competition.
Hand & Lock The Prize
1st Place Winner in the Student Textile Art Category.
Make International Award
(New Designers), Accommodation.
'Best Metal Thread Embroidery'
Awarded by the RSN, Sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers.
'Dissertation Award'
Awarded by the RSN Sponsored by The Arts Society (Greater London).
2017
'Best Technical Stitch'
Awarded by the RSN Sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Needlemakers.
2016
'Most Promising First Year'
Awarded by the RSN, Sponsored by Friends of the RSN.
Professional Memberships
2020
The Worshipful Company of Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers
Trade Freeman of the company.
Education &
Professional Training
2020
University of Leeds
MSc Textiles, Pass with Distinction.
2015-2018
Royal School of Needlework
BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery for Fashion, Interiors, Textile Art, 1st Class
2008-2015
Cockermouth School
A levels: A in Maths and Chemistry, B in Art
AS levels: A in Maths and Chemistry, B in Art and Geography
GCSEs: 4 A*s, 7As, 1B and 2 Distinctions
2013-2014
LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts)
Grade 5 and 4: Distinction in Solo Acting
2013
Central Saint Martins
Short Course in Fashion Design
