ROYAL SCHOOL OF NEEDLEWORK + ATW80F

Launching a unique collaboration with the Royal School of Needlework, United Kingdom

The Royal School of Needlework (RSN), founded in 1872 and based at Hampton Court Palace, is a global leader in hand embroidery, blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. For over 150 years, the RSN has preserved and advanced the needle arts, earning prestigious commissions such as Queen Elizabeth II's coronation robes and Catherine, Princess of Wales's wedding dress. RSN has been at the forefront of preserving and advancing the needle arts through intricate conservation projects, innovative collaborations, and now a truly timely initiative titled Fragile Threads.

FRAGILE THREADS is a groundbreaking collaborative project that will partner RSN with a diverse group of non-profits across the UK and the globe. This initiative explores the intricate connections between fabrics, sustainability, and biodiversity, encouraging participants to reimagine their material choices through a whole-ecosystem mindset while seeing embroidery as an important tool to tell ecosystem stories. By blending traditional embroidery techniques with innovative, regenerative fabrics, Fragile Threads empowers people to craft meaningful stories that reflect a more eco-conscious future.

At Around the World in 80 Fabrics (ATW80F), we believe that every fabric can tell a story—not just of culture, but of biodiversity and ecological interconnections. We are thrilled to partner with RSN on the Fragile Threads project which aligns closely with our goals of promoting regenerative, biodiversity enhancing, culturally significant fabrics. Together, we believe that the Fragile Threads project will not only share with a massive global audience the storytelling power and art of hand embroidery but also inspire meaningful conversations about how renewable, regenerative materials can reduce plastic microfiber pollution while promoting cultural heritage, and effective conservation of biodiversity.

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