With over 200 years of experience, British embroidery house Hand & Lock has created embellishment, embroidery and monogramming for the Royal Family, the military and iconic fashion houses including Dior, Hermes and Louis Vuitton. Committed to inspiring the next generation of embroiderers, Hand & Lock have promoted a programme of embroidery education and advancement by creating their annual international embroidery competition ‘The Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery’ and establishing the ‘Hand & Lock School for Embroidery’ which now operates workshops and classes around the world.

The Hand & Lock Prize was first established in 2000 to give new designers interested in embroidery the opportunity to showcase their talents and gain vital exposure and experience. In recent years, it has been expanded to include textile artists, interior and accessory designers as well as those working in fashion. The competition strives to highlight the exquisite craftsmanship and skill that goes into this intricate craft and bring together the whole embroidery community to celebrate each other’s works. Former winners have gone on to start their own successful businesses, work in the industry for top design houses and even join the in-house team at Hand & Lock.

This year, the 2021 prize-giving event and exhibition is being held at the historic Bargehouse in London’s Oxo Tower Wharf, where industry professionals, designers, contemporary art lovers and textile enthusiasts will be able to see the submissions and latest embroidery talent. The exhibition, which runs from 3 – 7 November, is accompanied by a curated schedule of talks, events and workshops based around the preservation of contemporary embroidered arts and craftsmanship.

Embroidered Arts will features three floors of embroidery by the best emerging designers alongside works by artisan makers and contemporary artists such as from Yinka Ilori, Karen Nicol, Alice Kettle, Nelly Agassi and Richard McVetis. The ground-breaking exhibition will also highlight the work of London’s oldest embroidery atelier, alongside designers such as Burberry and many more from Hand & Lock’s extensive archive, revealing the fascinating history of an historic embroidery house and showing how traditional embroidery is still practiced in the 21st century.

For five days this November, discover the passion and talent that goes into making the very best embroidery. Find out more about the exhibition and book tickets here: Embroidered Arts - an exhibition of global embroidery in fashion and textile arts