Jordan Williams Evans recently graduated in Textiles with Surface Design at the University of Huddersfield. His mixture of embroideries and self made felt fabric is the perfect combination of luxury and craft.

You recently told me that you’re completing a final project. What and where did you study?

I have just come to the end of my four year sandwich course at the University of Huddersfield, where I studied textiles with surface design. This involved a year out working in industry placements, one of which was in print design, so my skills are not only embroidery based.

What triggered your fascination with textiles?

I can’t specifically pin point a trigger but from a young age I have always been fascinated by colour and pattern. I never intended on doing textiles at degree level. Art and design was something I always did well in at school and college level but I used it as a way of relaxing. It came very easy to me and I enjoyed it. It made for a nice contrast to my more academic subjects. I actually planned on reading an academic subject at university rather than going down the creative arts route. I ended up choosing to study textiles almost on a whim, but it’s a decision I do not regret! I love fashion and follow the catwalks and trends closely; which is probably where my main fascination with textiles comes from. I will very often see a design or embroidery technique from the catwalk that grabs my attention and makes me go “I have to create something like that myself” or “I have to teach myself that technique”.

What’s your process when creating embroideries?

Once I have established my subject matter my designs always start with a drawing or sketch. I always try to be quite thrifty when I produce my embroidery work. I then look through my collection of materials and threads to see what I can make work with the design rather than buying lots of new bits and pieces. For my final major project at uni I looked to films for inspiration which is something I have never done before. The colours and themes of Wes Andersons’ Grand Budapest Hotel inspired my whole collection. Sampling is so important when creating a larger embroidery piece. I always like to do small samples where I practice the use of a certain technique and perfect it. By doing this I find it easier to imagine how I can apply that technique to a larger area. It’s also a way of placing different techniques next to each other to see how they work together.

What do you find difficult about embroidery?

Time! I’m a very slow worker but only because I like things to look perfect. If I feel a bead or thread doesn’t sit right, then I will unpick a whole area and do it again so that it is perfect. As I only really work with hand embroidery I find it very frustrating how long it can take to complete a design. There is also the worry that it wont look how I imagined it to once I complete the work. However, when it does turn out the way I want it to and  can see the many hours of work in front of me, there is something very satisfying about it.

What types of materials do you use and where do you buy them from?

I like to think of myself as quite traditional in my technique and therefore use traditional materials. I work a lot with the technique of gold work and I always go to Golden Hinde to get my wires. They offer such a great range of colours and wire varieties at very reasonable prices. For beads, I love going to markets and looking for old jewellery and embroidered fabrics that I can break down and reuse. I feel you can achieve a much more interesting look by combining lots of different little recycled elements together. I also feel there is more of a story behind your piece if you have reused old materials. For fabrics you can’t beat a stroll down Berwick Street in Soho London, they have such an excellent variety of fabric shops on offer.

What other types of textiles would you like to explore?

For my final major project I worked a lot with felted wool that I produced myself using a Brother knitting machine and then felted in the wash. This created such a luxurious material to work with and is definitely something I would love to explore more. There aren’t many fashion labels that work with knit and traditional embroidery techniques in the way that I did for my final, I feel it is a unique combination that is definitely worth exploring.

What are your future plans for your work? Is there anyone you’d really like to work for/with?

 Now I’ve finished university I am going to look into working freelance for a while. My aim is to intern in London for a while in the new year, hopefully getting in with some fashion houses so I can get some great names and experience on my CV. Being an embroiderer for a fashion house is the ultimate goal but we will just have to see how things go. In terms of designers who I look up to, Dolce & Gabbana are a massive inspiration for me. I love the playful story telling they explore through their prints and embroideries, especially in their more recent collections. In terms of London based labels, Erdem and obviously McQueen as they produce such beautiful embroideries on their garments.

What do you absolutely love about textiles?

I love how there are no boundaries or limitations in what you can create. The combination of colour, imagery and materials that you can explore is endless.

Lastly, what books would you recommend for lovers of textiles?

I don’t necessarily read any textile specific books. However, I love to look at books that look at fashion houses throughout the years; what some people may refer to as ‘coffee table books’. I have begun to get a collection together of my favourite fashion houses as they have beautiful close up images of garments and embroidery where I can draw my own inspiration from.

Follow Jordan’s work here

All images copyright of Jordan Williams Evans