MEET THE Maker: Hannah Refaat
We are really excited to have Hannah Refaat as our first ‘Meet the Maker’. After graduating from RCA in Mixed Media textiles, Hannah worked with Alexander McQueen and Julien Macdonald before taking the plunge and starting her own embroidery business focusing on an eclectic colourful range of luxury accessories and garments, including ties and pocket squares. Hannah is based at Cockpit Arts’ in London and has been featured in The Wedding Collective, Boho Wedding and Craft Council Directories, Selvedge, Town & Country.
So Hannah, what inspires your work?
As a British-Egyptian textile designer, I am really inspired by my heritage. My work is a combination of hand and machine embroidered textiles. I explore the landscape and environment of the Middle East - a part of the world where I’ve spent many months forming countless precious memories over the years.
My menswear accessory collection was initially inspired by my Dad, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with a penchant for colourful bowties, staying true to stereotypes of his profession! After realising how memorable my Dad’s unique sartorial expression was, I was inspired to create one-off pieces of art that can be worn with a tailored suit.
What is the most important part of your process?
The most important part of my process is layering a range of material and technique. I do this by using interesting colour combinations, contrasting material surfaces and weights and a range of textures in print and stitch techniques. I tend to do as little planning as possible as that usually limits my creativity in the composition. I work extremely organically and intuitively.
The hand techniques I use include cross-stitch, which is often used in the Middle East, feather stitch, running stitch, satin stitch and stem stitch. I also layer techniques, such as hand painted screen prints, with embroidery and fabric manipulation, like pleating.
Every material I use is carefully considered; I make sure that I use different weights and surfaces to create layers and depth to my work. I think that the contrast of lightweight against dense, and shine against matte, are qualities which are really important to my process. I’m also really interested in combining two materials that aren’t frequently seen together.
It’s been a difficult year for us all, what’s one piece of advice you would give a new creative?
Being in the creative industry is extremely difficult as the skills and creative talent you have don’t always align with other tools necessary to run a successful business. For example, I’m dyslexic so I find it more challenging to write, which is obviously important when you are doing things like submitting applications for grants or focusing on the PR and marketing side of your business.
I think that sometimes in the creative industry, where our ideas and designs are ultimately our livelihood, we live in this fear that if we invite others in, we may get taken advantage of. But a lot of the time this can be a hindrance, as being open to collaborating with others and sharing your own journey to help those in the industry are still really fundamental to your own success. You can always learn from other people, whatever stage you are at in your career.
It’s also easy to get swayed in different directions which you may not feel like you want to take when seeking advice as a new creative. Whilst taking advice from experienced creatives and businesses is really necessary, it’s also so important to stay true to your own values and what you want to achieve. Attend workshops, continue to learn and educate yourself even after your studies, and speak to people with more experience.
What do you find the biggest challenge about running your own business?
Marketing is something I never learnt about or researched until starting my business and it’s something that I’ve had to keep on top of as the landscape has changed, particularly where the presence of social media is now booming. It takes a lot of time and I find it distracts you from the making, so it’s something I would like to outsource when my business grows.
Whats next in store for Hannah Refaat?
I’ve been selected to exhibit at the following London events that showcase the best of emerging brands in front of an international audience. These include:
The Future of Craft Selects, October 2021.
Spotted at Top Draw September 2021.
Inland Showroom Launch: May 2021.
Selvedge World Fair, Sept 2021.
Cockpit Arts Open Studios June 2021.
How can we get our hands on some of your wonderful pieces and watch your journey?
You can order online from my website for made-to-order ready to wear accessories.
www.hannahrefaat.com/shop
Instagram: @hannahrefaat
We loved exploring Hannah’s beautiful embroidery and how she is not shy of colour like ourselves! The detail and attention to detail is something that we have always been drawn to.
Our next ‘ Meet The Maker’ is Lora Avedian who uses traditional embroidery and embellishment to create beautiful modern pieces.
Next ‘Meet the Maker’ will be posted on the 30th of May 2021.