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The Phoenix
Project type
Hand Embroidery
Date
2017
This project centres on the phoenix as a symbol of renewal, resilience and transformation, realised through an intensive exploration of goldwork and hand embroidery techniques. Designed and meticulously hand embroidered, the piece formed part of Claire Edwards’ entry to the Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery, responding to the 2017 competition brief written by Polly Kenny, Programme Director of Materials at the London College of Fashion.
The brief invited entrants to celebrate, let go and indulge in childlike freedom, while also honouring history, global culture, sense of place and identity, and the enduring vitality of embroidery itself. These themes are woven throughout the work, both conceptually and materially. The phoenix emerges not only as an emblem of rebirth, but as a vessel for collective memory, craftsmanship and cultural continuity.
The surface of the piece is richly layered with traditional goldwork techniques, shimmering sequins and metallic elements that catch and shift light, animating the form as it moves. Metal threads and embellishments create contrast against the softness of stitch, reinforcing the tension between fragility and strength that underpins the work. The embroidery celebrates excess, ornamentation and indulgence, echoing the brief’s call to embrace freedom and expression.
Material research played a central role in the development of the phoenix’s form. Inspiration for the head was drawn from a visit to the National Ironwork Museum in Shropshire, where historic metalwork informed both the structure and presence of the design. This influence bridges industrial heritage and textile tradition, allowing metal and thread to converse across disciplines and histories. The resulting form is at once mythical and grounded, decorative and resilient.
Through this piece, Edwards celebrates embroidery as a living, evolving practice. The phoenix becomes a metaphor not only for rebirth, but for the endurance of hand skill, material knowledge and creative identity. It stands as a declaration of transformation through making, where history, place and imagination are held together by the hand.
Photography credits to Claire Edwards & Catherine Dineley, University of Staffordshire
