Godener is a heritage-minded atelier in Cumbria, working across costume, restoration, and the more unusual commission. We design and create costume for stories that need to be told and conserve pieces that deserve to be remembered.
More is to come. Until then, feel free to reach out if you need us.
We design and build costume at a level shaped by two decades in couture: rigorous research, exacting cut, and the kind of handwork rarely found in modern studios. Our work spans principal roles, period reconstruction, and highly detailed pieces that demand precision, historical literacy, and uninterrupted craft skill from start to finish.
Godener operates as both design house and atelier, producing costumes whose structure, technique, and finish belong to the highest standards of dressmaking, not the shortcuts of production schedules. This includes the full discipline of couture construction: embroidery worked stitch by stitch, beadwork laid by hand, and fabric chosen for its intelligence as much as its beauty. Silk, wool, tulle, velvet, metal thread, appliqué, and the more arcane heritage techniques are all handled in-house, allowing every garment to move from design to final fitting without compromise. The result is costume with glamour and gravity. Pieces built to serve character, withstand performance, and hold their own under the closest scrutiny.
We restore historic garments and textiles using the same technical discipline applied to our new builds: research-led analysis, pattern literacy, and precise handwork that stabilises or reconstructs a piece without disturbing its original character. The work spans structured dress, embroidery, ceremonial textiles, and clothing from across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, often requiring period-accurate stitching, metal thread repair, re-mounted linings, or discreet structural correction. Fabric is matched by fibre and weave; surface detail is rebuilt where necessary; and every decision is made with a clear understanding of the maker’s intent.
We undertake work for museums, galleries, institutions, and artists where a project requires a defined textile or craft outcome. These commissions form part of a wider cultural endeavour: an exhibition, a research project, an installation, or a curatorial narrative in which our contribution sits as one element within a larger body of work. Such projects operate within institutional or artistic frameworks and often involve historical, conceptual, or contextual considerations.
© 2025 Godener.
