My name is Mercedes Carbonell. I have developed a unique technique to draw or to print real gold on textiles. Indeed I have just had been interviewed by Vanity Fair Magazine about my break through innovation. I was pictured in the dress below which contains real gold and has my signature gold print design of hands.
Myself and Mercedes first meet in Spring 2017 at Printall Studios in which i was the studio manager, she came to me with a beautiful idea on applying gold to her beautiful sourced silks in an array of colours. Her concept seemed impossible as i believe since starting my career into Textiles i had never known anyone to achieve this in an effective way.
I studied Printed Textiles and surface pattern design at Leeds College of Art and Design in which i graduated in 2010, I then started working freelance for numerous high fashion clients including J.W Anderson , Preen, Burberry and Ralph and Russo as-well as high street brands such as Asos and Topshop. I then had an amazing opportunity to run an open access studio called Printall Studios in which i met Mercedes Carbonell, and i wanted to try to work alongside her to achieve her vision.
In 2017, we experimented with different prints and techniques but we didn’t quite get it perfected, I then decided to leave printall Studios and start a new print studio in Peckham called 3rd Rail Print Space. Within the first year of opening Mercedes got in touch and wanted to screen print her finalised design using the amazing technique she has developed, i was excited that she finally achieved her goal and i was glad to witness her beautiful printed lengths of silk with her hand applied gold. 
HOLY CLARK

MANAGER, 3rd Rail Print Space

I was born in Spain and achieved fame and recognition as a Portrait painter and now live in London. You can see examples of my work on this webpage. 

Why did I decide to work with gold? Particularly drawing 24k gold onto silk?

I practice my drawing skills everyday, using my left hand as my life model and as my muse.

My hands are a special gift that I have been given which is why I have always conceived them in gold ink.

I like them so much that I even make videos with them!

The natural progression was to put them into real gold not on cotton paper but on silk.

For a year I visited almost every textile studio in London, working with different methods, buying gold, getting professional advice but sadly at that time I was unable to perfect the technique.

I went back to my painting studio and concentrate on my portraits. Then, out of the blue, everything came together and I could see exactly how the gold should be put onto the silk. The  simplicity of the process itself was wonderful. I began working on a collection of scarves that you are about to see in this video. They are pocket scarves for men and for women, a unique alternative to conventional jewellery adding glamour to any outfit.

I had such a success with my friends that I was encouraged to include not only the hands but a variety of animals and classic cocktails! You can see some of the silk scarves in this video. 

DESIGNED, HANDMADE AND ROLL HEMMED IN LONDON (LOW FOOTPRINT)