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1) How long have you been making corsets?
I have been making corsets going on 19 years now! I started in high school
and developed the technique from there .
2) How
did you develop your corset making skills?
There was a LOT of trial ad error when I started. I had made my own clothes
for a few years, and loads of library research (as we did before the internet
- ha!) into how clothing was made in the 18th Century. After high school,
I attended Sheridan College for Fashion Design and learned the basics
of pattern drafting, proper sewing techniques, and even did some interning
with a couturier who taught me couture techniques. Sheridan also had a
much better library for research ;)
3) What
made you decide to specialise in corsets?
In high school, I stuied a lot of art history and loved way the ideal
women's shape had changed over the years and how they helped the silhouette
to transform, with belts, bras, flatteners, lifts, bustles and corsets.
I found it amazing that something you could sew could create such a dramatic
change to one's figure and add instant curves. I was obsessed and began
trying to make them.
4) Where
do you get your inspiration from?
Often from my clients, they are incredibly creative people! Sometimes,
I will see a bolt of fabric, and instantly imagine how it would look as
a corset. My last fashion show line came entirely from a dream I had about
birds.
5) Do
you have any fabrics or techniques that you like working with most?
I love working with dupionne silk. It's a little fussier than most fabrics,
but the results are stunning! The colours are bold, and the feel is luxurious.
I also like that such a delicate fabric can be part o such a heavy structure.
Soft & strong is a fun thing to play with.
6) When
designing for bespoke customers what process do you go through?
We typically start out sketching the design they would like, then either
having them take their own measurements with the outline we provide them
with, or they come to see me to get measured. After that, I draft their
pattern, sculpt the inside coutil layer of the corset and sew the fashion
fabrics, linings and grommets. If they are in the Toronto area they can
come in for a fitting, then come back a day or two later for the finished
product.
7)Who
is your favourite designer and why?
Toronto's Annie Thompson. She has an incredibly unusual way of shaping
fabrics in a very flattering way. The fabric and colour combinations are
wonderful!
8)
What did you want to be when you were younger?
I actually have a paper I wrote in grade 9 about wanting to be a clothing
designer when I grew up!
9) After
a stressful day how do you relax?
Put on funny podcasts, and keep working! Sleep, then do it all over again.
10) Lastly
we at Lulu and Lush love cupcakes, what is your naughty treat?
Chocolate, of course! Dark chocolate, small bits very often.
www.starkers.com
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