Embroidery and embellishment are all over Fall 2016 fashion — see: Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, et cetera. Hand-stitching has been a mark of luxury and prestige for centuries — but machine embroidery, in artistic hands, can have a sophisticated look all its own.
One up-and-coming young designer elevating machine embroidery to high fashion is Alice Archer. The New York Times Style Magazine recently offered a peek into Archer’s studio, along with a profile of this unique designer. Her creations are classic and pretty, with a modern and lighthearted edge. “I want to see really beautiful colors,” she says in the profile. “I want the embroideries to be quite sculptural, and the shapes of the garments to be really flattering.”
Archer may be only 31, but she’s got a solid resume including an MA in textile design from the Royal College of Art and years of professional embroidery experience. In an op-ed for Business of Fashion, she writes:
It is my ambition to push the potential of traditional embroidery techniques and make embroidery relevant and desirable today by combining new technologies with that spirit of traditional handcraft. … The use of computers and mechanical processes are not antithetical to my craftsmanship, but essential to it. Whilst machines can be seen to have replaced skilled workers, they are also creating new opportunities to combine craftsmanship and technology.
Check out Archer’s profile in The New York Times Style Magazine to see more!
________________________
Gear Threads is brought to you from the offbeat gals at Urban Threads. Created by illustrator Niamh O’Connor, Urban Threads is revolutionizing machine embroidery one edgy, elegant, innovative, and/or offbeat design at a time. Discover the future of digital stitchery at www.urbanthreads.com.