Interior Design Masters finalist Siobhan Murphy ‘speechless’ at amazing jacket made by Kingfly Embroidery

Whether it is home furnishings or fashion, Interior designer Siobhan Murphy is known for her bold maximalist approach, but even she found herself lost for words when she was presented with an amazing technicolour dream jacket embroidered especially for her by Yorkshire artist David Morrish.

The jacket features Siobhan’s “Donuts are a girl’s best friend” graphic, reinterpreted in embroidery and applied by David, who is a Fashion Design teacher and lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, as well as a practising, multi award-winning designer with his company Kingfly Embroidery.

Siobhan says: “We have been chatting on Instagram for months and I have been avidly watching the progress of my jacket.

“I have to say, it’s very rare, I’m almost speechless but seeing it in the flesh was overwhelming. The design, the hours and hours of work and the total passion that goes into something like this. It’s a work of art that I will treasure forever. David is an absolute master of his craft and a disruptor in digital embroidery.”

David, who lives near Huddersfield, has just won the Wilcom Digital Embroiderer of the Year, 2021 prize, an award he also won in 2019.

He says: “As a result of winning the title two years ago, I have had the privilege of working with other artists and designers across a range of disciplines and subject matters, to see what is possible with digital embroidery and to show the world that it is an art form in its own right and can be used for more than just logos and badges.”

David has created pieces for fashion designers Matty Bovan, Richard Quinn and Sadie Williams, interior designers Linda Barker and Siobhan Murphy, Illustrators David Downton, Richard Kilroy, Laura Laine and Will Broome, and collaborated with graffiti, street artists and tattooists around the world

“I have been exploring digital embroidery working with pre-made garments for personalising and customisation opportunities, essentially giving a tired garment a new exciting, bold second life. These include creating pieces for make-up artist Brooke Ellis, a firebird for Natalie Imbruglia featured on her On my Way single, and a ‘90s, fun, music-inspired creation for the award-winning singer, Dannii Minogue.”

David took Siobhan’s “Donuts are a girl’s best friend” graphic and embroidered it all over the ready-made jacket. “This was the first time I have attempted this, as previous works were always centre panel placed,” he says. “This jacket involved a complete rethink of the design and make approach, pushing me and my machine to its limits. The jacket had to be part deconstructed in order to enhance, before finally being reassembled. In total it consists of over 1.5 million stitches and over 150 hours to design, CAD and make. It is a truly one-of-a-kind piece that reflects Siobhan’s bold, bright and colourful personality.”