| New Brewery Arts Dorothy Reglar Exhibition Dorothy Reglar leaves her New Brewery Arts studio in 2021 and celebrates her exceptional career, creativity and skill with a short exhibition at New Brewery Arts. Dorothy, garment designer and embroiderer, with a life time of expert and distinctive creative practice, embodies the very essence of New Brewery Arts in Cirencester. Dorothy opened a studio, at what was then known as Cirencester Workshops, back in 1985. So for some 36 years, she has been welcoming visitors and customers to her studio full of fascinating fabrics, and her original and beautifully designed garments. It is not surprising that Dorothy is known to people across the UK particularly in Gloucestershire, but also in countries across the world. After gaining qualifications in Fashion Design at West of England College of Art in Bristol and a Post Grad course in Embroidered Textiles at The University of Central England in Birmingham, Dorothy was appointed as embroidery designer for the esteemed Bellville Sassoon company in London. Bellville Sassoon designed clothing for the young royals and other very well known celebrities. Dorothy found herself designing for such notable clients for 8 years until 1974. She was responsible for designing and organising the embroidery across the company’s whole garment range. Whilst working at Bellville Sassoon Dorothy was also encouraged to teach embroidery on a number of university and college courses, and after leaving the company, she concentrated on teaching until she set up her studio in Cirencester. Her generosity and ability to pass on her design skills, was to lead to later travels to many locations across S.E. Asia. During Dorothy’s time at New Brewery Arts, she has undertaken trips to Thailand, Laos and Goa continuously over a period of 23 years. The trips consisted of work with indigenous women’s groups, facilitating ways that their own skilled weaving could be developed into garments that would reach a wider market. Dorothy was commissioned to undertake projects at the highest level, by Oxfam for their catalogue, the British Embassy in Bangkok, and The German Development Service, to name a few. Most recently Dorothy visited Goa to work with over 200 women who had made embroideries for The Banyan Tree Project. Dorothy has always loved ethnic garments and working with the skilled weavers across S.E. Asia gave Dorothy the opportunity to infuse the finished garments with her awareness of fashion, and an individual style that makes them timeless and treasured items. This can also be said in no small measure about Dorothy’s own range of garments in her studio. Not sure about what will come next, Dorothy is tempted to try Stone-carving, and also to further develop her fine art drawing and painting skills. Her main wish however, is to share her collection of textiles and books with like-minded textile enthusiasts who will be able to visit her home studio by appointment. Whatever she turns to, it will surely be just as remarkable as her achievements working with textiles. |
I visited from Canada in May 1993 to see my friend, she took me to the studio and I purchased a lovely embroidered Shepherd’s smock. I wore it for my own exhibition. I’m planning to wear for my 82 bday treat to the theatre.
Very fashionable right now.
Ttfn Betty