The Coat

About

Crafted by artists and communities from across the region.

Godiva’s coat was a beacon coloured with golds, yellows and reds as she travelled to London through urban towns and country roads. The coat itself is a double-breasted embellished long coat with a train reflecting the length of the Cyclopedia. The coat and train features designs researched and created from the Chain Makers of the Black Country, the Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent, Computer Gaming in Leamington Spa, Glove Making in Worcester, and the Glass Making Industries from Stourbridge and Smethwick.

Godiva’s shift and corset has been created by Zandra Rhodes. Zandra has designed, with students from Coventry University, a transparent modern style medieval shift for Godiva with gold hand painted godets and trailing sleeves. Over this will be an ‘iron’ corset decorated with glass embellishments . The inner lining of the coat documents the project over two years, it contains images and text details of the many technical languages used throughout the realisation of the project. The coat collar features intricate filigree work made from fine twisted wire; found buttons, beads, nuts and bolts sourced by a commissioned artist. There are a number of buttons on the front panel of the coat and these are made out of wood or leather. Each button has an individual design in relief. There is also a pair of cufflinks created in glass and each cufflink has a different design.

Meet the Creators

A team of regional textile and glass artists have created the coat and train for Godiva showcasing the crafts and industries from the West Midlands. The coat has been designed by award winning textile artist Julia O’Connell. Julia also leads the Coat team which includes Maggie Dunne, Rachel Grant, Adam Hussain, Debbie Squires and Julie Joannides; with glass embellishments by Andrew Logan, internationally renowned glass artist, designer of Dudley’s iconic millennium Pegasus statue and founder of the Alternative Miss World competition. 

International Fashion Designer Zandra Rhodes has worked with students from Coventry University to create the shift for Godiva.

The pattern for Godiva’s coat and train has been created by the Coventry based Creative Hubb using the latest cutting edge technology. The company has created a pattern which equates to nearly 6 times the scale of an average human size for the 10 metre high creation.