Bridging traditional academic ceremony with contemporary design, Humphries Weaving collaborated with Hereford College of Arts to create groundbreaking academic regalia for Britain's first new university in 40 years. 

This unique project married student artistry with our heritage craft skills to produce ceremonial robes that break from conventional academic dress.

The design journey began with an innovative student artwork featuring bold geometric shapes. Our technical team worked closely with the artist to translate these contemporary polygons into a complex weave structure, carefully balancing the interplay of silk and cotton yarns to achieve precise pattern definition and optimal drape. The fabric development required multiple trials to perfect the scale and positioning of the motifs, ensuring they would create maximum impact when worn as ceremonial robes.

We developed three distinct colourways - Bronze, Silver, and Gold - each requiring careful consideration of yarn combinations to achieve depth and lustre. The different colours create a subtle hierarchy within the academic regalia, distinguishing the Senior Leadership team, CEO, and Chairman while maintaining visual cohesion across the collection.

This bespoke commission for NMiTE (New Model in Technology and Engineering) demonstrates how traditional weaving techniques can be reimagined for contemporary design. The resulting ceremonial robes stand as symbols of academic achievement while embodying a forward-thinking spirit, weaving together threads of tradition and innovation.