Sub-Textural – Character and Collaboration

In this talk, Michelle Carragher explores the art of embroidery on costumes for film and television, and the vital role it plays in bringing characters to life on screen. Guided by the costume designer’s vision, creating embroidery for costumes is a highly collaborative process within the department itself, as well as with actors and the wider production team, to achieve the final result that appears on stage or screen.

At the heart of every costume is the character. Michelle will examine how embroidery can help communicate a character’s identity, status, background and emotional journey, while also providing an important tool for actors in developing and supporting their performances.

Drawing on examples from productions she has worked on across different genres, Michelle will explore everything from recreating historical pieces and screen adaptations of novels set in specific periods to fantasy franchises and contemporary productions. She will share insights into her creative process and demonstrate how costume embroidery can help establish a sense of time, place and story for the audience, while supporting an actor’s connection to their character.

Michele Carragher is a London-based author and mixed media artist whose work centres on hand embroidery as an artistic medium. After studying fashion design at the London College of Fashion, she worked in textile conservation, an experience that has proved invaluable to her work creating embroidery on costumes for film and television.
With more than 30 years of experience in the costume industry, Michele began her career as a costume assistant before specialising in embroidery and costume embellishment. Her first role as Principal Costume Embroiderer was on the HBO/Channel 4 miniseries Elizabeth I, starring Dame Helen Mirren.
Throughout her career, Michele has created hand embroidery, embellishment and textile art for a wide range of acclaimed productions, including Our Mutual Friend, Stardust, Assassin’s Creed, Peaky Blinders (Season 2), The Crown (Season One), The Secret Garden (2020), Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 2).
Alongside her work in film and television, Michele continues to develop her own artistic practice. In 2021, she published her first book, entitled Trace, showcasing her artwork and creative explorations celebrating the embroidered medium.