Joy Pitts (MA Fine Art 2005) has completed a label portrait of Sir Winston Churchill to coincide with the issue of the new five-pound note featuring Sir Winston Churchill later in 2016. Continue reading....
Queen Elizabeth II 90th Birthday
Window installation at Military Tailors, London. Delighted to announce that my recent portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, assembled from Derbyshire WW1 nametapes will be exhibited at No 6 Sackville Street, London, home to bespoke tailors Meyer & Mortimer. With their historic connections to military uniforms, this unspoilt tailors shop in Mayfair will provide the perfect site-specific environment in which to remember these World War One fallen servicemen.
Since 1790 military wear has played a key historic role in their outfitting business, including the British forces, commanders and Kings. Meyer & Mortimer have held a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II since 1955, and still tailor uniforms for the Military Knights of Windsor today.
Meyer and Mortimer are thrilled to exhibit this Royal portrait reflecting on Her Majesty’s sixty-four year reign, and long dedication to our Armed Forces.
The Queen’s portrait took 136 hours to create and used 125 grams of dressmaker pins.
Exhibition runs from Saturday 9th April until Wednesday 27th April 2016.
Sir Winston Churchill - Label portrait
Work in progress: Size 46.
The Centre for Hidden Histories
WINSTON CHURCHILL - SIZE 46 Winston Churchill is indelibly associated with the Second World War, and with good reason.......READ ARTICLE
Sir Winston Churchill - label portrait
Work in progress:-
Turnbull & Asser
Turnbull & Asser have supplied a wonderful variety of size and colour woven labels for inclusion in Winston Churchill’s portrait. The largest shirt label measures 8cm long and is shown below in Churchill’s chest size 46cm. The smallest label ‘Hand Made in England’ measures just 13mm, and a selection of colours will be used for Churchill’s signature spot bow tie and blue eyes. The smaller tie labels in black, white and brown are also essential and will be used to assemble the detail on Churchill’s face, hat and cigar. I use thousands of dressmaker pins to attach woven garment labels in neat rows, the pins add depth and texture to the work giving a 3D effect. The use of dressmaking pins also reflects the process of making garments.
The work will be exhibited in London later in the year to coincide with the issue of the new five-pound note featuring Sir Winston Churchill.
Henry Poole & Co
Delighted that Henry Poole are supplying their black and white historic woven labels for inclusion in Churchill's portrait. The labels are unchanged since the 1920's and are therefore the exact label that Churchill wore in his chalk striped flannel suit.
Lock & Co Hatters
Lock & Co's celebrated label will the largest to be assembled in Churchill's portrait and will appear as the ribbon hat trim on his distinguished Homburg. Churchill selected a Lock silk top hat for his wedding day in 1908, returning to Lock & Co in 1911 to order more hats, including his signature Homburg with its tightly curled brim on both sides and a dent or crease in the top of the crown.
Hats are forever linked in history, and as the oldest hat shop in the world Lock & Co will celebrate an amazing 340th birthday in 2016.
Sir Winston Churchill - label portrait
Working Title - Size 46
The opportunity to assemble a portrait of Sir Winston Churchill has been made possible through collaboration with his preferred outfitters. Churchill was certainly a man of style, choosing Henry Poole & Co, the most famous Savile Row tailor to measure, cut, fit and sew his bespoke three-piece suits.
Turnbull & Asser of Jermyn Street were also favoured by Churchill, pattern cutting and crafting his shirts and spot silk bow ties. Later referring to Churchill simply as size 46 and designing his famous ‘siren suit’.
Our vision of Churchill today would certainly not be complete without the addition of a Homburg hat, first ordered by Churchill from Lock & Co Hatters at No. 6 St. James's Street, London in 1911. Now the oldest hat shop in the world.
Henry Poole & Co, Turnbull & Asser and Lock & Co Hatters are proud to have been of service to Churchill and are delighted to supply their bespoke labels for inclusion in his portrait. The result will be a contemporary image of Britain’s greatest war leader, portrayed through dress and reflecting on quality couture craftsmanship.
Once assembled using thousands of dressmaker pins the portrait will be exhibited in London in 2016, more details and dates to follow.
FACEBOOK Joy Pitts - Sir Winston Churchill Portrait