About
Kamilah Ahmed is a London-based British Bangladeshi embroidery artist and designer working at the
intersection of heritage craft, contemporary design, and material storytelling. She holds a BA in
Textiles from Chelsea College of Art and Design (2012) and an MA in Mixed Media Textiles from the
Royal College of Art (2016), where she has since returned as a guest lecturer. With a formative
background in couture embroidery, Ahmed worked for leading fashion houses including Dior,
Valentino, Alexander McQueen, and Dolce & Gabbana (2013–2023). She later led New Embroidery
Design and Development at de Gournay (2023–2024), translating couture techniques into large-scale
interior and architectural applications. Her recent work includes The Rhythm of Pride, a silk tapestry
co-commissioned by the British Council and the British High Commission Bangladesh (2021);
collaborative works for Spinocchia Freund’s The Curator’s Room at WOW!house (2025); exhibiting A
Continual at Homo Faber’s Interwoven in Seville (2025); and being named the inaugural recipient of
the Collect Open Award at Somerset House (2026). A Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust Award holder
(2026), Ahmed will undertake advanced technical training in London with master metalworkers and
designers. Based at Cockpit Arts Bloomsbury, Ahmed’s practice explores the shifting language of
pattern across South and Southeast Asia, tracing cultural movement and trade through thread.
