Beloved by European royals and aristocrats – and recently seen on screen in Bridgerton – the traditionally fusty craft of needlepoint is increasingly popular with Gen Z and young millennials. The Featherington women of Bridgerton love it, Taylor Swift loves it – and in recent years it has gained a huge following among young Millennials and Gen Z. It's no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a revived interest in arts and crafts of all kinds, from knitting and crocheting to sewing and soap-making, as those of us stuck indoors sought out hobbies to occupy our hands and soothe our minds.
But perhaps most surprising of all the pursuits to take hold during this time was needlepoint – that historic craft, formerly associated with royals and aristocrats, and perhaps your grandmother's floral cushion covers – which gained extraordinary traction among millennials during the lockdown period. And its popularity is showing no signs of slowing down: according to various needlepoint retailers, the craft has recently taken off on TikTok too, attracting a new wave of Gen Z practitioners in 2024. So what is it about needlepoint, a practice with a famously fiddly, somewhat fusty reputation, that's so appealing to a modern audience, and who are some of the creatives and companies fuelling its revival? To start with, it's important to understand what differentiates needlepoint from other forms of needlework.
In the UK, for instance, needlepoint is frequently referred to as "tapest.
