Burberry has partnered with British artist Keith Khan and LEEDS 2023 to create a series of bespoke textile artworks to celebrate the 33 distinctive and diverse wards of the city of Leeds.
Created at the Burberry Mill in Keighley as part of the year-long festival of culture LEEDS 2023, the textile artworks feature 33 unique motifs inspired by the landscape, history and communities of Leeds.
Known collectively as ‘The Gift’, the project aims to celebrate the fabric of community by transforming each motif, designed by Khan, into a special artwork that will be gifted to each ward for public display.
In addition to the textile artworks, Burberry has donated a bespoke jacquard fabric which combines all 33 motifs into one. The fabric was shared with local designers, makers and students from Leeds Arts University to create a range of garments for display at the My LEEDS Summer events. From kimonos and suits to capes and dashikis, the garments showcase the diversity of Leeds and the breadth of local fashion talent.
This month, Leeds Corn Exchange exhibited the textile artworks and garments in an exhibition called ‘A City Without Seams’. In October, they will be gifted to their neighbourhood wards for display in a local venue.
With a large office in Leeds and a history of producing garments in Yorkshire, Burberry was proud to weave the artworks on jacquard looms in Keighley, to celebrate the city and its thriving local community.
‘It has been such a privilege to be a part of LEEDS 2023 and to celebrate not only our connection to the region, but also the rich industrial heritage of Yorkshire through the work of our incredible team at the Burberry Mill.
We hope that the textile artworks we’ve created with Keith Khan will not only be cherished by our generation, but also passed down and beloved as a symbol of the community by many generations to come.’
‘It was such an honour to have these pieces woven on the Burberry jacquard looms, with the incredible support and professionalism of the Burberry team. The designs were complex, but the result is a series of fine textiles. It is only with these textiles that we see the geographic size of the wards reflected, and they have also been worn, touched and used with relevance in every single one of the wards. We cannot underestimate the importance of a gift for perpetuity to be displayed in every ward from an outstanding luxury brand with a base in Leeds. It is amazing to see the artworks both in their digital and animated form, and as a physical textile.’
‘We are hugely grateful to Burberry for its work on this project and the ongoing support for our year of culture. To work with a global luxury brand, with a strong history and heritage in West Yorkshire, has been an absolute delight. Burberry has been the perfect partner to bring to life the textile artworks that Keith has created for each of the 33 wards of Leeds. And I am so thrilled that now the people of Leeds have a bespoke artistic design unique to their ward, crafted by a world-renowned company.’
About LEEDS 2023
About Keith Khan
About the Burberry Mill
About Burberry
