Michele Carragher is the London-based Principal Costume Embroiderer working on the Costumes in Game of Thrones.
On how she got into embroidery:
- "Started when I was a child, really. I went to college and studied fashion design. While I was there, I actually became drawn to the theater design course and what the students were doing. ... When I left college, I went into textile conservation and developed my embroidery skills there, practicing on the many textiles that came through the door. So I got much quicker at different techniques. Then, through some friends who used to make amateur short films, I got involved in the world of filmmaking, and so went from there, really."[1]
On how she became the Game of Thrones embroiderer:
- "I got involved with the show when I was asked by the costume designer, Michele Clapton, who I've worked with before several times. Obviously, I was drawn to the show because of the creativeness of the project. Michelle, as a designer, she has great talent and spirit, and she's a real supporter of artists and craftspeople, and she really pursues the costumes being made with traditional processes when possible. Having fabrics woven and hand-printed, and she has a lot of hand finishing done on the seams and hems. Luckily for me she likes some hand embroidery."[2]
Her views on her work for Game of Thrones:
- "I never really feel I have done my best work, with the time constraints of each project I always feel I could have produced better work if given a little more time. So it's more about which embroideries I've I enjoyed within the creative process rather than what I regard as best, such as the embroideries where I have pushed 3-dimensional elements into sculptural territory, as on some of the lion designs I have created for Cersei's costumes. I have also enjoyed developing various scale-like textures for the Dragonscale embellishment on Dany's costumes. Nothing has been the “most difficult”, only time-consuming, such as creating nearly 350 handmade roses and then sewing them onto the train of Margaery's wedding dress."[3]
While Michele Clapton will be departing the TV series after Season 5, Carragher has confirmed that she will be returning for Season 6.
See also[]
- Michele Carragher on IMDb
- Michele Carragher interview with Take Two
- Michele Carragher's Website www.michelecarragherembroidery.com
- Michele Clapton and Michele Carragher interview with Vogue Italia www.vogue.it/en/people-are-talking-about/vogue-arts/2014/06/game-of-thrones-costumes
- Michele Clapton and Michele Carragher interview with The Hollywood Reporter www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/game-thrones-costume-designers-reveal-705873