Hand & Lock is Britain's oldest embroidery atelier. For over 250 years the house has practised the art of hand embroidery in London, today from its studio in Fitzrovia, trusted by the Royal Family, the British military, Savile Row and the great fashion houses.
The Beginning
The story starts in 1767 with M. Hand, a Huguenot refugee skilled in the making of gold lace. Settling in London, he began supplying military tailors, the start of a goldwork tradition that continues in the studio to this day.
In 1898, C.E. Phipps began producing embroidered fashion pieces for the great department stores, bringing the craft from the parade ground to the shop floor.
Two Houses Become One
In 1956, the designer Stanley Lock acquired the business that became S Lock, embroidering for the leading couture houses of the day. For decades, M Hand & Co and S Lock worked at the top of their respective fields, one rooted in military and ceremonial embroidery, the other in fashion and couture.
In 2001 the two merged to become Hand & Lock, uniting over two centuries of craft under one roof. In 2017 the house celebrated 250 years of embroidery, and in 2019 its Royal Warrant was renewed as Embroiderers and Suppliers of Military Accoutrements.
The House Today
Hand & Lock's embroiderers work across an unusually wide field: ceremonial and military regalia, couture for houses such as Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Burberry, commissions for Savile Row tailors, and costume for theatre, film and television.
That heritage is carried forward through the bespoke atelier services, the Hand & Lock School, and the Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery, an international award that nurtures the next generation of makers.
Learning with the House
The Hand & Lock School exists to pass these skills on. Courses, webinars and the Journal cover everything from first stitches to advanced goldwork, taught with the same standards the atelier applies to its commissions. Whatever stage you have reached, you are stitching in a very long tradition.