Revive and Renew with Hannah Refaat
British-Egyptian textile designer and embroidery artist Hannah Refaat has long believed in the power of stitch to tell stories, hold memory, and transform the everyday. A graduate of the Royal College of Art and recipient of the Radcliffe Craft Development Award, she works from her studio at Cockpit Arts, where colour, heritage, and sustainability converge in her practice.
Hannah Refaat in her studio. Photo Credit: Can Koroglu
Refaat’s embroideries are both bold and intricate, moving fluidly between hand and freehand machine work. She describes her approach as “drawing with thread,” treating cloth as a sketchbook where lines, textures, and shades unfold intuitively. This experimental spirit is balanced by a deep grounding in tradition: she draws inspiration from the textiles and environments of the Middle East, modernising historic techniques with fresh palettes and inventive combinations of stitch.
Boro Stitch Patchwork Top (TOAST) - Hannah Refaat
Her career has spanned many forms — from developing embroidered swatches for international fashion houses to producing bespoke commissions and creating her own collections of embroidered accessories. At the centre of it all is a sustainable framework. Every piece is made to order, reducing waste, and her process is open, personable, and rooted in honesty — values she shares with the communities she works with and the clients who bring her textiles into their lives.
A Wecandoo workshop with Hannah Refaat.
This September, as part of London Textile Month, Refaat brings her philosophy into the classroom with Revive and Renew, a hands-on workshop series at Cockpit Bloomsbury. Participants are invited to bring worn garments or scraps of cloth and learn to mend, patch, and embellish in ways that extend both the life and the meaning of textiles. Alongside practical mending skills, Refaat encourages students to view fabric as a living canvas — one that can be reimagined and revived through colour and stitch. The workshops are a chance not only to gain skills, but also to reconnect with the garments we wear and the stories they carry.
Ahead of these sessions, we spoke with Hannah about her inspirations, and how embroidery can be both a craft and a statement:
Hannah Refaat at work in her studio. Photo Credit: Liddy Greenaway
Hannah, what is your first memory of a textile?
This is a hard one as I have a rubbish memory. But possibly my cuddly toy tiger, called Rusty. I still have him now, but I used to love stroking him on my face when I slept.
Can you put into words what you love about textiles?
I love the tactility and texture of textiles, the layers and the amount of work that goes into the fabric to build up the pattern. I know how many hours it takes for one person, or many hands, to work on a piece before it’s seen by the public. So many conversations are had, friendships and connections are made, and problems are solved throughout the whole process.
If you make textiles, where is your most inspiring space or place to create?
I make my textiles in a range of places. It varies, from my studio, where I have a freehand embroidery machine and do hand embroidery work, to working from home where I can work at my own pace in a relaxed environment. I also work at London College of Fashion, where we have access to a wide range of equipment, including digital embroidery machines, tufters, needle-felter machines, Cornely (loop and chain) machines, and a pleater. This access allows me to continue expanding my practice, as I'm not limited to equipment, and I can experiment across different mediums.
Recycled Boro Stitch Wall-hanging for the Japanese Embassy by Hannah Refaat
What has inspired you recently?
I last visited exhibitions in New York in May, where I saw Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers at the Guggenheim. He's one of the major voices of his generation, an artist who composes searing meditations on race and class, using a range of mediums to portray his story. I loved how he explored his own identity in so many ways. His mixed-media approach really connected with me. He paints, makes films and sculptures, all to an exceptionally high standard that is both provocative and emotive.
I also saw SELAH by Gabriel Moses, which focused on photography and film as mediums and was influenced by his British-Nigerian heritage. His work treads a line between personal history and cultural signifiers.
Then I visited the William Morris exhibition in Walthamstow, which featured more traditional prints and drawings. His work is deeply infused with socialist ideas, reflecting his belief in equality, the importance of meaningful work, and a critique of capitalism’s impact on art, the environment and human well-being. He envisioned a society where everyone could experience beauty and fulfilment through their daily lives and work.
All the work that inspires me most, whether film, music or fine art, is deeply personal to the artist. It makes you think, feel, and connect with the maker. It brings you closer and places you in their environment. That’s often why I draw on my own heritage when creating my work.
Hannah's wedding veil in all it's glory. Photo Credit: Sarah Taylor
What is your most cherished textile, and why?
My veil, which I embroidered. I got married in July 2024 and I made a cathedral-length tulle veil (three metres long). The embroidery was mostly cross-stitch, which I love, as it’s often seen in Egyptian embroidery, part of my heritage.
The motifs I used were inspired by both mine and my husband's heritages. He’s Welsh but grew up in Hong Kong, so I included flowers from both those parts of the world, daffodils and bauhinias. I also included plants from Egypt and used many motifs from the edges of buildings, such as the Coptic church and cross (as I’m Coptic Egyptian). The hem of the veil was based on the roofline of a building, and the tree in the middle came from a historical book from the Bibliotheca Alexandria.
I also inscribed our initials and the date, and I’m hoping to pass it down so future generations can do the same.
Where did you learn your craft?
I’ve been making since I was young. I studied Textiles at Central Saint Martins for my foundation, Loughborough University for my BA in Mixed-Media Textiles, and the Royal College of Art for my MA in the same subject and have been in the industry for 10 years since graduating.
My grandma used to make her own clothes and embroidered her daughters’ (including my mum’s) wedding and engagement dresses, so I get that practical mindset from her!
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Further Information:
Hannah Refaat's Workshop 'Revive and Renew' will take place as part of London Textile Month on Tuesday 2, and Friday 12, 19, and 26 September, 10-4 p.m, at Cockpit Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 2NP.
Get your tickets HERE
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Image Credits:
LEAD: Portrait of Hannah Refaat. Photo Credit: Liddy Greenaway
All Images courtesy of Hannah Refaat.