Fleur Webb, an MA Historical Costume student from Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), has secured the runner-up spot in the highly competitive Undergraduate, Postgraduate Degree and Recent Graduates category at the prestigious National Embroidery Awards 2026.
Her award-winning entry, Expression Through Oppression, is a breathtaking textile art piece that merges rigorous historical research with masterful technical skill.
The piece was created to honour the resilience of historical figures who found solace and agency through the needle, even in the darkest circumstances.
At the heart of Fleur’s creation is a hand-embroidered recreation of the oldest-surviving pair of bodices (corsets) dating back to 1598. Her work has been heavily influenced by the earliest-known prison embroideries, famously stitched by Mary, Queen of Scots, during her long captivity.
"The three Marigolds are a take on her personal emblem representing courage in adversity," she explains, "and the tabs are a tribute to embroiderers who stitched their time away.
Expression Through Oppression is an impressive demonstration of both ancient and modern textile disciplines. To achieve the beautiful and historically accurate aesthetic, Fleur synthesised an extraordinary range of techniques including gold work, silk shading, needle lace and stump work.
Other methods include crochet wire lace, free motion embroidery, devoré, screen printing and indigo dyeing.
This national recognition highlights the calibre of talent emerging from the MA Historical Costume programme, where students are encouraged to push the boundaries of historical dress, craftsmanship, and storytelling.
"I was thrilled to be awarded runner up in the Undergraduate, Postgraduate Degree and Recent Graduates category of the National Embroidery Awards 2026, for my entry," Fleur says. “This piece was made to honour all those who have been incarcerated with only a needle and thread for company."
