Good things take hands.
Good things take Hands. Even Better things take many.
Slow Hand Creative Studio is a North East based creative practice centred on slow fashion, embroidery, embellishment, visible mending and upcycling. We bring together creative, tactile joy with intentional, responsible making, slowing down to appreciate the beauty and potential of materials and the stories they can carry.
Making is at the heart of what we do. We believe creativity is most powerful when it is purposeful, and that the things we make and wear can say something meaningful about who we are and what we value. Bringing traditional craft practice into conversation with contemporary ideas, we work across commissions, workshops, retail activations, guest lecturing and creative education, always with the same quiet commitment to craft, community and conscious making.
We are part of a broader creative community in Gateshead Town Centre with Orbis Community, where we collaborate and contribute towards local community projects, events and creative mentorship. We work alongside students, academics, early career artists and more established practitioners, as well as local voices and organisations. Everything we do is gently underpinned by a curiosity about sustainability, conscious making and the impact we have on the world around us. We don't preach, we explore, and we find that people leave our sessions more informed and more curious than when they arrived.
Founder Statement
Hello, my name is Melanie and I'm the founder of Slow Hand Creative Studio. My journey into the creative industries began in 2013, when my undergraduate dissertation opened my eyes to the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry. Setting up my self-titled business shortly after, I knew I had a responsibility to make sure what I put out into the world addressed these issues rather than added to them.
My work has always centred around emotional connection, storytelling and longevity. I've never been interested in chasing the latest trends, but instead using creativity as a tool to connect and to express. We can communicate so much through what we wear and what we make, about our values, our interests and who we are as people. Slow fashion that embraces personal style, visible mending that carries stories and creative expression, up-cycling that extends the life of fabrics in ways that feel genuinely considered, these are all at the core of what I do.
This ethos runs through my contemporary art practice too, where the intentional selection of materials and techniques is central to the meaning of the work. Bringing traditional textile techniques into contemporary art spaces feels important to me, as it challenges how craft is perceived and valued, and asks people to consider the time, care and skill that goes into making something by hand.
In 2024 I returned to education to complete my MA in Sustainable and Ethical Fashion Design, which deepened my understanding of current and future fashion systems and the pioneering solutions emerging within them. My thesis explored the emotional longevity of embellished fashion and the role that co-creation and informal education can play in shifting how people think and behave around clothing and consumption. I also had the opportunity to develop biomaterials and present as part of a team at the BioDesign Challenge in New York, an experience that reinforced everything I believe about the importance of slowing down, connecting with materials and creating with genuine responsibility.
Slow Hand Creative Studio is the bringing together of everything I believe in. A space for intentional creativity, genuine connection and thoughtful making. Whether you are here for a commission, a workshop, a collaboration or simply out of curiosity, you are warmly welcome. I hope something here resonates with you, and I'd love to hear about what you are working on.
Meet the team
Melanie Kyles
A millennial magpie in human form, Melanie is a lover of sparkle, trinkets, coffee table books and rescued fabrics. She has a keen eye for detail, colour and texture, and a natural instinct for creative mentorship. When she's not in the studio or lecturing, you'll find her walking in nature, visiting galleries, or planning her next trip around whatever exhibition has caught her eye. She feels everything deeply, and it shows in everything she makes.
Founder and Owner
Studio Assistant
Izzy Emery
A colourful gen-z goth and one of the most genuine people you'll ever meet, Izzy joined us after graduating from Gateshead College in 2023. They love cats, tattoos and are rarely seen without a crochet hook and a ball of yarn in hand. They also run their own creative business, Hauntingly Halloweave, and while they're busy growing that, you'll find them popping up in the studio and supporting our events from time to time. We're very glad they do.
Making with Purpose, rooted in community.
Our creative studio is situated within the warm and inspiring surroundings of Orbis Community, a hidden gem in the heart of Gateshead Town Centre. We have been with Orbis from the very beginning, and we are proud to be a longstanding part of the community. An inclusive creative collective doing genuinely meaningful, community driven work through creativity, they reflect everything we believe in. That creativity is most powerful when it is shared, accessible and rooted in the place and people around you.