Stepping out at Windsor Castle for the premiere of the documentary Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, the Queen, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester proudly wore brooches designed by graduates of the prestigious embroidery fellowship programme run by The King's Foundation. So too did Penny Lancaster, an ambassador for the foundation.
The film, which outlines the King’s philosophy of being in harmony with nature and highlights his foundation’s focus on craft skills and sustainability, was an ideal fit with the designers’ brief of “rewear, repair or recycle”, with the pieces designed to be reworn.
Graduates Katie Dickson, Tamsin Lines and Eliza Gomersall created brooches using sustainable materials, inspired by the gardens of Highgrove, the monarch’s royal residence in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, where they lived and studied for six months while enrolled on the course.
Developed in partnership with Chanel, the course offers students training opportunities in embroidery for haute couture and the luxury fashion industry.
Queen Camilla's brooch
The Queen wore a brooch designed and embroidered by Eliza Gomersall and Durga Shanthakumar. Eliza, 25, said the experience was a "moment I'll never forget – to have our work worn by Her Majesty to such a special and meaningful event is an honour”.
Eliza was also the mastermind behind the intricate Moth brooch worn by the model and TV star Penny Lancaster. Made using mixed beads, cotton threads, peacock feathers and leather offcuts, the brooch explores themes of transformation and rebirth.
"I was delighted to wear this brooch," Penny exclusively told HELLO! at the event. "It's so wonderful how the King is supporting and bringing back all the traditional crafts."
Eliza, who met His Majesty while studying at Highgrove, says: "He's passionate about the arts because he's an artist himself. He was admiring my silk painting; he was really interested in how I was combining painting and embroidery."
Designing for the Duchess of Gloucester
Last week, London-based Tamsin Lines, 27, hand-delivered a custom-made brooch to the Duchess of Gloucester at Kensington Palace ahead of the premiere. It took her 15 hours to make, employing tambour and needlework embroidery techniques. Tamsin created the brooch by repurposing offcuts of straw and used only deadstock natural materials such as silk thread and glass beads.
"She looked at it and tried it on,” Tamsin exclusively tells HELLO! of the “dream project”, adding: “She was asking about the materials I use and I was explaining that it was [made of] straw offcuts. I think she was surprised by the level of detail, with the brooch being so small."
For Tamsin, designing a brooch for the Duchess was exciting and "very unexpected". She says: "The Duchess requested the brooch as a specific item, so I designed five different ideas for her.”
Duchess Sophie's brooch
The final piece was an intricate bow design using blue silk to match a blue cashmere jumper that Tamsin was told the Duchess would wear to the premiere.
Katie Dickson, 24, from Lincoln, whose work was inspired by structures in the gardens at Highgrove, sent the Duchess of Edinburgh four brooches to choose from.
"I was looking at ceramics in the gardens and all of the different materials, like the metalwork,” she says. Katie spent eight hours on her creation, using a mixture of materials: mohair wool, Swarovski crystals, ceramic stones and metal goldwork wires, plus sequins and metal and glass beads.
"It's an honour," she says.