Featured: Shirt, Jacket, and lace drop (detail)
Ella Felgate- Guild Graduate in 2025 – explores the emotional weight of collective memory
Ella Felgate is a multidisciplinary designer whose project pays tribute to the overlooked cultural identity of Stourport-on-Severn. Inspired by the town’s historic riverside fairground, Treasure Island, her work explores the emotional weight of collective memory, local pride, and the fading traditions of British fairgrounds.
During her time at university, Ella developed a deep interest in the relationship between place, storytelling, and materiality. Her studies encouraged her to translate research into tactile outcomes, using textile design as a means of preserving narratives that risk being forgotten. This exploration naturally evolved into her current practice, where heritage and craftsmanship meet contemporary design thinking.
Through menswear textile design, Ella reimagines nostalgic spaces by merging past and present. Her material palette—featuring vintage and pre-loved fabrics, cotton, linen, lace, and knitted textiles—evokes familiarity and warmth. At the heart of her process is digital embroidery, used not only for decoration but as a storytelling device. Each thread becomes a memory, stitched with care, forming a tactile scrapbook of community and personal history.
Positioned within the high-end contemporary fashion market, Ella’s work is both emotionally resonant and materially rich. These layered textiles invite viewers to engage up close, where texture, detail, and sentiment come alive. Looking forward, Ella aims to continue developing her practice through collaborative studio work and industry experience, deepening her exploration of narrative-led textile design and sustainable material processes. Her work honours fading traditions while reminding us of the quiet power of place, craft, and belonging.
All work featured by Ella Felgate