King Charles III’s charity, the Prince’s Foundation, has launched a partnership with Chanel to run an intensive embroidery course for student designers.
The 24-week course, called the Metiers d’Arts education programme, will be held at the monarch’s Highgrove home in Gloucestershire.
Recent university graduates can apply for the course. Six students are selected each year and will be awarded bursaries for their living costs.
They benefit from the guidance of tutors who usually work from the le19M hub in Paris, which hosts workshops and a gallery space, alongside creative directors of other luxury fashion brands including Lesage, Atelier Montex and Lemarie.
The programme began at the end of January and focuses on developing creative practice, skills and refinement.
Emily Cherrington, director of The Prince’s Foundation, said the charity hopes the course will “equip students with a wide range of creative and practical skills”.
“Building on The Prince’s Foundation’s excellence in education and training in fashion and textiles, this partnership with a global industry leader in Chanel is incredibly exciting for everyone associated with our charity,” she said.
“We are hopeful that, by allying our passion for sustainability and craft with the culture and expertise of Chanel and le19M, we will equip students with a wide range of creative and practical skills, geared towards high-end atelier studio practice.”
Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel SAS and le19M, added: “We are delighted to be working with The Prince’s Foundation on this exciting educational partnership.
“Our long-standing vision has been to nurture and develop the specialist skills of the Metiers d’art in order to recruit, train and transmit their savoir-faire to the next generation.
“Initiatives like this program are a way to highlight today’s relevance of these traditional metiers, ensuring they have a legitimate place in the creation of tomorrow.
“It also reaffirms our commitment to artisan skills, innovation, and sustainable development.”
The Prince’s Foundation’s education hub director, Daniel McAuliffe, said the course will involve lectures, presentations and critiques.
“The fellowship will focus on hand-embroidery and beading skills, providing students with access to studio space, expert tuition and materials,” he said.
“Throughout the programme, there are opportunities for students to expand their creative process and presentation skills through contextual studies lectures, presentations and critiques.
“This practice-based learning encourages creativity, builds skill-confidence and prepares recent graduates to become artisan embroiderers of the future.”
Last year, a collaborative project between the Prince’s Foundation and online fashion retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter saw the launch of a luxury womenswear capsule collection inspired by Highgrove gardens for the first time.
The 13-piece collection was the second edition of the Modern Artisan project. It included designs made from natural fabrics and biodegradable materials. One of the dresses in the collection was inspired by the deep fuschia of the King’s Highgrove rose, while a yellow cashmere knit jumper replicated the colour of the benches placed around the property.
