CoutureLust: Steam Trunk Couture

I'm beside myself with excitement to bring you the latest CoutureLust profile ~ it's been some time in the making. Meet Juniper Lindquist Fletcher, who along with her husband Christian Fletcher, brings us Steam Trunk Couture!

(Juniper and Christian in 2007 / Photo: Derick Ion)
I've long been enamoured of Juniper and Christian's excellent design-work ~ the attention to detail, perfect blend of modern tribal circus sensibility with vintage charm... every piece of theirs I've seen is glorious.

(Steam Punk Gown / Model: Ashley Knight / Photo: Sequoia Emmanuelle)
Juniper and Christian are currently hard at work on their latest creation... a baby, due any day now. Finger crossed that line of steamy baby-wear is in the works! And there are already heart-poundingly hot designs for men in their line ~ seen gracing the likes of Sidecar Tommy of Beats Antique.

(Sidecar Tommy in Steam Trunk / Photo: Derick Ion)
Without further ado, the lovely Ms. Juniper.

How would you describe yourself and your style of work?

I consider myself a renaissance woman. Whether it is costume & clothing or painting & sculpting, I love the process of manifesting dreams into this plane of reality. These days with Steam Trunk at the forefront of my creative wiles, I design garments and accessories that embody facets of Victorian and Retro fashion, yet are modern and street smart for today’s fast times. Steam Trunk fashion can be noted as “Antique street-wear”.

(Model: Ukushu Kazakova / Photo: Sequoia Emmanuelle)
Where do you find inspiration?

Fortunately all through my life, artists have surrounded me and craftspeople that support the belief that we are capable of creating anything our minds can dream up. Whimsical moments, vintage artifacts, beautiful textiles and the divine patterns of nature inspire me.

What do you do besides design amazing clothes?

I am also an illustrator, painter, costume maker, web/graphic designer, body modification artist and soon-to-be-mother!


(Model: Lucid Dawn / Photo: Derick Ion)
What are three things that please you the most in the world?

Three things that please me the most in this world are: the exploration of consciousness, creating with my own hands, and reveling in the love of my husband and community.

How did you get your start making clothes?

I began making clothes for dolls and myself through experimentation and the help of my mother who is also a seamstress. After years of private tailoring, making costumes and having a small hand made line in Canada; I came to the USA to be with the love of my life, Christian. Together we began designing a vision for Steam Trunk in 2007 and produced small numbers of unique garments, which were sold at fashion events and a few local stores. In the years to follow, we were given great support through our community and also formed with the Five and Diamond Collective, who has been a strong factor in our growth as a company.


What piece of work are you most proud of?

I am most proud of my “Venus” Gown, which is a hand detailed couture silk and taffeta piece. This is a piece from a limited collection created in collaboration with Chrystie Cappelli and my husband Christian for the most recent fashion show we presented at the W Hotel in SF.


Where can we find your line?

Our line can be found at:

Five and Diamond
San Francisco, CA

Ceiba
San Francisco, CA

The Congregation Of The Forgotten Saints
Los Angeles, CA

Gold Bug
Pasadena, CA

Dark Garden Corsetry & Couture
San Francisco, CA

Delicious Boutique
Philadelphia, PA

Morning Glory
Burlingame, CA

Gothic Renaissance
New York, NY

La France
Tampa, FL

CANADA

Belle et Rebelle
Montreal, QC, Canada

Sanctuary Curio Shoppe
Edmonton, AB, Canada

Bia Boro
Nelson, BC, Canada

Thanks so much, lovely Juniper, for doing this interview despite the impending birth of your wee one... can't wait to hear about your further adventures!

...Read the full interview...

CoutureLust: Quaintrelle Couture

One of the glories of the Edwardian Ball is meeting brilliant like-minded people... such as the stunning and incredibly talented Calamity Lulu of Quaintrelle Couture, who I lured to my booth with 80% dark chocolate.

(Lulu in Tudor Dress by Quaintrelle / Photo by Mr. Nightshade)
And what, you will ask, is a quaintrelle? On her Web site, Lulu quotes Wikipedia: a woman who emphasizes a life of passion expressed through personal style, leisurely pastimes, charm, and the cultivation of Life’s pleasures... Dear readers, imagine my pleasure upon finding that a word existed that so splendidly summed up my tendencies! I immediately knew Lulu was a woman after my own heart, and was delighted that she agreed to share some more about her work here.

(Eva in Can-Can ensemble by Quaintrelle / Photo by Mr. Nightshade)
How would you describe yourself and your style of work?

Frippery as philosophy. Fabric-based alchemy without any gold -- not in the sense of money or colour, but rather, the narrow mindset of boiling down elements for a highly specific and defined objective. In alchemy they say the Masterwork is achieved only when the alchemist forgets about gold and loses himself and his aim in the purification process. When I design, I usually don't have any picture in my head when I put the pencil to paper, and I try not to get caught up doing one style--I don't want to make variations of the same piece over and over again, so my "style" is chameleonic and as mercurial as I am. Fashion for shapeshifters.

(Mr. Nightshade in Waistcoat by Quaintrelle / Photo by Audrey Penven)
Where do you find inspiration?

The usual suspects: history, architecture, the human form, but I'd say my number one inspiration is the material itself. I frequently feel like fabric has an intent of its own, as if it knows what it wants to be when it grows up, so I try to listen to its little whispers. (I see fabric fulfilling its destiny in Adornments for Tarts, so I think you intuitively do this too!)

What do you do besides design amazing clothes?

Ballroom dance, burlesque, travel, psychological treatises, study foreign languages.

(Lulu in Headpiece by Quaintrelle / Photo by Mr. Nightshade)
What are three things that please you the most in the world, and why?

Fabric. I'm a sensual hedonist, and I can't even begin to explain the joy of a beautiful silk, velvet, wool, or linen on skin. A truly perverted fabricphile, I even like to smell it. The smell of silk: mmm.

Books and intellectually stimulating conversations, because I am a nerd. A big, fancy nerd.

I lack a precise word for the third, and perhaps most significant, thing that pleases me (undoubtedly the Germans have the perfect one). Art, perhaps, because it involves creation; and also the kind of passion that leads to meticulous attention to detail and perfection of one's craft; or love, because it has to do with developing one's sense of joy without root in attachment to stagnant things; or learning, perhaps, because it involves the evolution of the mind... that's it: I'll use Evolution. Nothing pleases me more in this world than evolution -- feeling myself evolve and seeing others evolve.


(Detail of Can-Can Corset by Quaintrelle / Photo by Mr. Nightshade)
How did you get your start making clothes?

I was born a quaintrelle. From the time I could hold a crayon, I would almost exclusively draw women in fancy dresses, and would always design some monstrously complicated costume for Halloween months in advance and give it to my mother, an accomplished seamstress herself, to make for me. She'd take my drawing and move a seam somewhere more convenient, and I'd take the drawing and move the seam right back, so she decided I should learn myself pretty early on. I had my first machine -- a child's Singer with only one function -- at the age of six, and being an independent little chit, I worked things out more or less for myself over the years.

(Detail of Tudor Headpiece by Quaintrelle / Photo by Mr. Nightshade)

What piece of work are you most proud of?

I'm a ghastly perfectionist, so I always feel like my work could be better! I am a little proud of the stomacher I made for my silk mantua -- raw silk, gathered in three rows, embellished with organza trim of a delicate fawn colour (though it looks rather pink in the photo), beaded all over and with cording couched with decorative crosses in silver embroidery floss. On the mantua, which is as lovely sage green with a baroque acanthus print in gold, it has a look that's both opulent and organic.

(Detail of Tudor Mantua Stomacher by Quaintrelle)
Where can we find your line?

For the moment, exclusively through my website by commission. I haven't quite been won over to the idea of prêt-à-porter, since absolutely nothing makes someone feel as luxuriously well-dressed as a custom-tailored garment, but I'd like to offer at least ready jewelery or accessories on my website -- once I find time to set it all up!
...

Thank you, Lulu, for sharing your inspiring vision and your delectable creations... and this quaintrelle is looking forward to seeing more from you!

...Read the full interview...

CoutureLust: Blasphemina's Closet

I'd harbor a guess that many of my readers are familiar with the Lolita style. If not, meet Samantha Rei, proprietress of Blasphemina's Closet. Samantha takes the girlish ruffles and neo-Victorian sensibility of Lolita style and makes it sumptuously couture.

(Image: Photosynthetique)
She curates the annual Schoolgirls and Mobilesuitsfashion show, and her luxe creations can be seen at New York's Dances of Vice. And good news for dandies... she's got a men's line, too.

(Image: Fairytale Vegas)
Samantha is based in Minneapolis, and along with previous CoutureLust featuree Heather Luca of Scoundrelle's Keep and Megan Bishop of Apatico, founded the Libertine Asylum, a "society for the spread of fanciness, hedonism, indulgence and beauty." Ah, ladies after my own heart. Let's see what's behind the flounces in Blasphemina's Closet...

(Image: Photosynthetique)
How would you describe yourself and your style of work?

I generally stick to classic and gothic lolita. Lolita fashion is a style that gained popularity in Japan and has taken hold as a relevant subculture worldwide. It has a lot of basis in Victorian and Rococo fashion as well as certain other influences like stories, sweets and other subcultures.

Two of the best sites for info are Avant Gauche and Lolita Fashion.

(Image: Photosynthetique)
I also tend to do neo-Victorian and aristocrat menswear and for fun and friends, wa-lolita.

Where do you find inspiration?

Books and movies. Usually, whatever I'm reading at the time or movies I've been enthralled with each season inspire my next line. Music, too. I'm not really into sweet style, and since that's what's in right now, I don't tend to be inspired by the Japanese brands as much as I used to.

(Image: Aesthetic Alchemy)
This year, I've been inspired by Snow White as illustrated by Arthur Rackham (he's a HUGE inspiration in my life), Little Red Riding Hood, Josephine Bonaparte, story book villains, the poetry of John Wilmot, the films Gangs of New York and From Hell, Japanese illustrator Mihara Mitsukazu, regency era fashion plates, Valkyries, and as always, Alice in Wonderland.

(Find more links to Samantha's favorites at the end of the post.)

What do you do besides design amazing clothes?

I make fascinators and jewelry. I love that! It's one of those things where I do it in my spare time, then sell it later. I can spend time making one piece pretty. It's like meditation. Also, I love to read. If I'm not working, which is most hours of most days, I'm reading or watching crime shows.

(Image: Scoundrelle's Keep Imagery)
What was the most challenging piece you've designed / made?

I had to make five bridesmaid and one flower girl dress out of bright red dupioni silk. They all needed to look the same, but be made to fit each girl. It was very tough, because half the girls didn't actually live in town. I was working on this while finishing a piece for my best friend to wear at her wedding and her sister's bridesmaid dress, all had to be done that week because they were both getting married on the same day. That was stressful, but everyone was beautiful!

(Image: Photosynthetique)
What are three things that please you the most in the world?

Books, history and family.

How did you get your start making clothes?
My mother taught me to use a sewing machine when I was about 13 (early 1990s). I got into design shortly after that. I used to hand sew clothes for my Barbies for something to do. I didn't really "play Barbies" right. But I really got gung-ho into designing when I was in early high school. I started with my own clothes, then with practice styles, then made prom dresses for friends. The first year I did that, I made two dresses for friends for like $100 each. I was so proud! Shortly after beginning college, I started my Web site :)

(Image: Erin Nicole Johnson)
What piece of work are you most proud of?

It's a tie between showing my collection PULP at Dances of Vice in Spring of 2009 and a black and blue silk wedding dress I made for a Halloween wedding this year. I was so proud of that collection, I hadn't done a gothic line in ages and it looked so cohesive and elegant. And the wedding dress made the bride look radiant. I love creative clients who just let me go! I can't choose...

(Image: Photosynthetique)
Where can we find your line?
On the internet, at conventions (check out my ongoing con schedule for 2010!) and every once in a while in spots around Minneapolis.

List some of the top books, music, and movies that you've enjoyed recently...

Books!
Monster Blood Tattoo
Valiant:A Modern Tale of Faerie
Barnaby Grimes
A Lion Among Men
Seeing Redd
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Spiderwick

Musical inspiration this year!
World Inferno
Rasputina (My favorite band since high school!)
Voltaire
Circus Contraption
Gogol Bordello
Amanda Palmer
Dr. Steel
Emilie Simon
The Builders and the Butchers

Movies!
Gangs of New York
From Hell
Quills
The Libertine
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Moulin Rouge

Thanks so much, lovely Samantha! We'll be off down one of those fabulous interwebs rabbit holes now to find more inspiration from your links... just like Alice.

...Read the full interview...

CoutureLust: Skingraft Designs

Jonny Cota and Katie Kay of Skingraft Designs have roots in the vaudeville circus performing arts scene - Cota as a stilt-walker and Kay as a tribal bellydancer - and that love of theatricality and flair for high drama shows. Their work is an exercise in contrasts - soft feminine ruffles and brawny masculine leather, demure coverings and exposed skin, silks and metals.

(Photo by Tiny Dragon Productions)
What started in 2005 as custom-wear for sideshow performers and musicians has grown ~ into a full label that's rapidly gaining ground, with a show in L.A.'s Fashion Week tomorrow. I was completely transfixed the first time I saw an image of their designs. Shot at the legendary Los Angeles bar The Edison, the model leapt from the page, stark and raw, and yet so elegant, luminous against the industrial background.

(Photo by Allen Amato)
On one of my favorite fashion blogs, Haute Macabre, Jonny described the style as “victorian punk rocker riding a regal horse to her gothic wedding.” You can see why I'm drooling. I'm thrilled to feature Jonny speaking up about Skingraft's astonishingly gorgeous work here. Click the images for more incredible detail.

(Photo by Brion Topolski)
How would you describe your style of work?

I would describe my work as a constant juxtaposition of dark and light, hard and soft, and natural and synthetic. Skingraft is a dark Victorian dreamer living in a city of concrete and noise and somehow finding comfort in it. The work is very detailed and very meticulous, as each piece starts as a story that almost writes itself.

(Photo by Allen Amato)
Where do you find inspiration?

I think that Skingraft's greatest inspiration is the animal kingdom, beasts, birds and the natural world in general. No matter how dark or metropolitan any of the designs can be, they always somehow relate back to the shapes and imagery of animals and plants. We are also often inspired by silhouettes and techniques that are ancient, classical or even just a few decades old. From Victorian corsetry to classic millinery, we are easily excited by old techniques and craftsmanship.

(Photo by Brion Topolski)
What do you do besides design amazing clothes?

Skingraft can be a bit consuming at times, so my life outside designing clothing seems to be shrinking more and more. Outside of Skingraft I spend my time collecting and altering taxidermy, producing electronic music for my DJ sets and spending time with my partner and pit bulls.

(Tattoo artist Kat Von D, Photo by Sheryl Nields for Latina Magazine)
Outside of designing clothing, my partner Katie Kay collects vintage clothing, spends time with her partner and their pit bull and has spent quite some time on tour as a tour manager for Amanda Palmer and the Dresden Dolls.

What are three things that please you the most in the world?

Fog, coffee and leather

How did you get your start making clothes?

We started out as circus performers creating costumes for ourselves for our stilt acts and dancing acts. That costuming grew into a business of making costumes for other performers as well, and the next thing we knew we were transitioning more into fashion and creating clothing for everyday wear. None of us were trained in what we do, it just happened naturally.

(Photo by Saryn Christina)
What was the most challenging piece you've designed or made?

Every wedding gown that we make is always a huge challenge, but fortunately each project has run smoothly and has turned out really beautiful. One of my first gowns I ever made was my greatest challenge, because it was made primarily of leather and burned silk, two materials that are very difficult to work with. The gown was topped with a leather Victorian jacket covered in thousands of small metal studs that I put in each by hand. The shoulders were decorated with fur fox faces dripping in chain and metal, and the detail was done by hand.


(Photo by Tiny Dragon Productions)
What piece of work are you most proud of?

I am most proud of the new gowns I am working on right now for our runway show this October. The lines are much cleaner than before and the details are extremely meticulous. The dresses are constructed with a lot of hand-sewn feathers, metal studs and extremely form fitting corsets. I am terribly excited to see them on the runway, I feel that they are the true evolution of Skingraft.

(Photo by Brion Topolski)
Where can we find your line?

We just opened up our first store in downtown Los Angeles and we carry our entire line here including our couture fashion show pieces. We are also are carried in stores around the country in such cities as New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago and Atlanta.

Thank you, Jonny, for the interview, and for your brilliant vision in collaboration with Katie. You may find Skingraft ready-to-wear designs for both men and women online, at Hunters and Gatherers and Five and Diamond, among others.

...Read the full interview...

CoutureLust: VECONA

I nearly wept the first time I saw a VECONA creation. It was the now-legendary tentacled corset, featured on BoingBoing, that brought me tearfully to my knees. Upon visiting the Web site of VECONA creator Janet, who lives and works in Germany, I felt I had fallen down the rabbit-hole of brilliant costuming. Every image is a fantastical wonderland of beauty and intrigue, every model tells a tale of scintillating decadence.

(Fashion: VECONA / Photos: Viona / Model: Bérengère)
Janet collaborates with amazing talents like Shien Lee and Lucas Lanthier, the masterminds behind Dances of Vice, and she traveled with Emilie Autumn on her Asylum tours for a few years, performing as a Bloody Crumpet and doing all the costume design. I'm ever so delighted to feature VECONA. Be sure to check out her beautiful new Web site!

(Fashion: VECONA / Photos: Matt Frederick / Model: Ulorin Vex)
How would you describe yourself and your style of work?

I'm a wanderer between genres, eras and worlds, and this is how my styles look like. I love picking particular parts from different influences and mixing them together to create my very own universe. I love inviting guests to be part of it and bring their personal taste to make it even more colorful and unique. This is why I started working with other artists like musicians and photographers. My work shouldn't necessarily meet the requirements of a certain scene, but for sure I'm glad when people can identify with my creations. And in the end I just do what I love. ;-)

(Fashion: VECONA / Photos: Viona / Models: VECONA & Shien Lee)
How did you get your start making clothes?

As almost everybody in that business, I started with sewing as a hobby and for a long time it was only that. It took me a while to find out that this is what I really love to do in my life.

(Fashion: VECONA / Photos: Silent View / Model: Fräulein von Rosenfelde)
In the meantime, I studied computer science and as my first project in that field I made the VECONA website to present the costumes and clothes I made in my free time. It turned out that many people were interested in what I showed in the gallery and in getting their very own VECONA piece. So after finishing my studies, I screwed up my courage and decided to follow this sewing passion. What can I say, since then every single day I enjoy this privilege to have a job that satisfies me and gives me the surety that finally I found my destination.

(Fashion: VECONA / Photos: Annie Bertram / Model: Drastique)
What do you do besides design amazing clothes?

At the moment I'm pretty much interested in the era "Weimar Berlin“ and do a lot of research about that. In this context I started swing dancing a while ago and I really enjoy it!


Where do you find inspiration?

Honestly, I find inspiration just everywhere. It comes to me seeing a fabric, watching a movie, reading a book and pretty often while driving my car. But - the best inspiration I do find just working, because with every single piece I start, I get ideas for three more.

(Fashion: VECONA / Photos: Annie Bertram / Model: Ancalime)
What are three things that please you the most in the world?

My beloved family and friends, a warm day outside and coffee.

What piece of work are you most proud of?

Usually the last one I made. ;-)

(Fashion: VECONA / Photos: Annie Bertram / Model: Drastique)
Where can we find your line?

Since I do all pieces as custom orders you should just write me an email to janet(at)vecona(dot)de! Besides these special orders I also offer an accessory and jewelry line in my online shop. Besides the VECONA creations I just established a second label together with a friend, it's called VeconaVintage. Our collection for men and women will come out at the end of the year, so watch out and stay curious. :-)

Many thanks to Janet! I am most certainly staying curious ~ here's a little wish that one day she'll bring her brilliant imagination back to the States so I may be astounded by her work in person.

...Read the full interview...

CoutureLust: Scoundrelle's Keep

It was a striking image on her Flickr photostream that enamored me to Heather Luca's brilliant clothing line out of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Scoundrelle's Keep. Heather's designs are both playful and elegant.

Heather's recent collaboration with Samantha Rei of Blasphemina's Closet is breathtaking. It premiered at a recent Dances of Vice event (oh, if only I lived close to New York!). Images by Photosynthetique.

How did you get your start making clothes?

I learned the basics of sewing from my mom as I was growing up. She made many garments for us, even matching mom-and-daughter sets. Looking through the photo albums still makes me wince! When I had my daughter, I found myself with many small pockets of free time that I would end up wasting because I couldn't really go out and do stuff with an infant.

That Christmas, I asked my family to buy me a sewing machine, and thus picked up the hobby again. When I got married the following summer, I made my own wedding gown, including a beautiful white-on-white brocade corset. It was my first serious attempt at a corset - it was a kit from Farthingales in Canada, and it turned out really well. From there, I had friends asking me to make them corsets, and word spread like wildfire. Soon I was taking clients from even out of state!

Where do you find inspiration?

I am very inspired by classic Victorian clothing. I tried doing historical recreation of garments, but I found that far too restricting, so I integrated modern fabrics, materials, and techniques that would not have been available in that era to create something new and decadent. I create from the past that never was.

What are three things that please you the most in the world?

My family, especially my 7 year old daughter, Kaia; being able to dress fancy in neo-Victorian and Lolita styles, and collecting Asian ball-jointed dolls (ABJD).

What do you do besides design amazing clothes?

I went to college for photography, and I love being able to capture images. With most of my local orders, I offer a free photo shoot at the completion of a corset or outfit, both as a bonus to the client, and as a way to keep my portfolio filled with the newest garments I've made.

What piece of work are you most proud of?

Its hard to narrow it down to one piece. Each garment I finish is more beautiful than the last. I really love the fall collection of clothes that I showed at Kakkoi|Con and Schoolgirls and Mobilesuits (SGMS)- it was the first full line that I have made, and it went from design to fruition really smoothly.

Where can we find your line?

I am available locally in Saint Paul, Minnesota for in-person consultations for orders; you can also purchase custom-made items directly from my website.

Thank you Heather! I'll carry on dreaming of owning a corset-dress from Scoundrelle's Keep.

...Read the full interview...

CoutureLust: Amoelbarroco

I first encountered the stunning and intriguing Viveka, a.k.a. Brummella Brumaria, designer of Amoelbarroco, through her Etsy shop, and was instantly enamoured. Even more so when I found her Flickr site, with its deep archive of delectable photos.

Captivated, I went to her blog, and found it written in Spanish, which made sense, as she is based in Madrid. Though sadly, my own Spanish is far too pathetic to be able to read the entries, I enjoyed the pictures, and when I fed her bio through that clunky-but-entertaining Google translator engine, it yielded this delightful paragraph:

Steampunk pirate, robot recalcitrant scientific crazy part-time aesthete unparalleled, exquisite Baroque zombie art-nouveau, and lover of the crapulilla - Orientalism, Symbolism, Terror, times past, the vicissitudes of history and several anachronisms, dandybilly and carnivaliosa...

I'm sure it's not a perfect translation, but it made me very happy. I'm considering re-learning Spanish to follow her blog.

How would you describe yourself and your style of work?

I use to think about myself as a dilettante with a non-stop creative anxiousness and infected with some kind of quixotic behaviour. I love art, literature and history (that's why I studied Fine Arts) and, in my work, I use to "contribute" to them with some personal cosmogony and fantasy, altering it or showing my point of view of the past and anachro-aesthetics. I just want to work again and again about my perception of beauty, no mind which form it adopts. Now I channel all these ideas through designing clothing, but who knows if this is its final shape!


Where do you find inspiration?

As I've said before, mostly from art and history. I have my preferences, of course; baroque, rococo, Victorian, art nouveau and 80's are essential to me, but also of interest to me are diverse subjects such as medical imagery, romantic orientalism, contemporary and antique photography, puritan and religious tradition and imagery, comics, music and films, and many more! I find inspiration also in books, I love symbolism, decadent writers, horror literature, steampunk...I'm always reading something.

What do you do besides design amazing clothes?

Well, thanks so much for your comment :). Hehehe, apart from spending time with that strange gentleman I use to find by my side and hanging out with my dear freak friends in bizarre places, in the professional world, I work also in fashion as a teacher in a school, besides attending Amoelbarroco!

I'm also a kind of amateur photographer (mostly self-portraits), model for others sometimes, I enjoy very much this activity, and I REALLY love traveling, too, I think I would spend my life discovering new places.


What are three things that please you the most in the world?

Just three!! I think I can resume this in "having the possibility of doing whatever I like and want."

How did you get your start making clothes?

With my brand...maybe...by accident?? Hahaha, I begin this adventure working with another girl more experienced in this sector, but we decided not to work more together, so I decided to continue alone and I've been like that from a year and a half more or less with some friends as collaborators sometimes, I really appreciate their help and opinions. Anyway, in the past I made some designs for my closet, and always enjoyed working with image and making my own eccentric-styling and way to understand fashion. Also, when I was an art student I developed some art-fashion artifacts and constructions, and if I go back as a child I use to draw some girls with strange clothing and appearance, so I can say that always had a part of my thoughts moving in this direction.

What piece of work are you most proud of?

Hard to decide!! The most successful one is the "pirate-gondoliere" shirt which has an original illustration of Laura Wächter on the back (I always want to collaborate with her, she is a very talented person).

But I love specially the first men's shirt I made with my own hands and even "French couture"! There are some new designs that will be visible soon that I think are good stuff too.

Where can we find your line?

On the last times I worked mostly with direct orders from costumers, this is my favourite way of selling, but you can also find some garments (and sales) at my Etsy shop, or in Madrid in a couple of places: La Morgue, but there are a few products now (c/Espíritu Santo 2) or my permanent exhibition at L'showroom (c/Mejía Lequerica, 17, 2d).

Thank you, Viveka!

...Read the full interview...