This theatre enthusiast-turned-designer creates corsets that are works of art.
Women have historically squeezed, pushed, and prodded themselves into clothing that contorts their bodies into curious interpretations of their actual shape. Take skinny jeans, for example. Or, if you want to point to a look that has continually resurfaced and reinvented itself through the ages, try the corset. Although lacing yourself into a corset isn't always the most pleasant of experiences, few can deny the allure of wearing one. Just ask corset designer extraordinaire, Simone.
"I received a degree in theatrical design that also required learning a ton of construction, so making corsets was something I learned in school," she says. "After moving to L.A. and staying clear of costumes for a year, it occurred to me that I could actually enjoy making, dealing with and thinking about corsets -- a lot. This was seven years ago and there were a couple of incredible corset companies on the Internet that were way ahead of me. I give them credit for influencing me and affirming my notion that corsets were coming back."
And come back they have -- in a big way. Cinched waists have always been a big thing, but this spring ushered in the corset belt, which helped create a renewed interest in the classic corset. That's exactly what Simone creates. Cinchers like the limited edition Blue Kitty and Ruby Burlesque mimic the belt trend taking over this season with a more realistic interpretation, while the Underbust, Overbust and limited edition Aqua Lovely tread into classic territory with an updated approach. But if you think these are your garden-variety corsets, think again.
"There are corsets and then there are corsets, which are often 'bustiers' -- anything with stretchy fabric and plastic bones is for fun and novelty purposes only and are definitely not a corset," Simone explains. "True corsetry involves proper fabrics -- usually cotton coutil that give a corset strength -- steel bones at every seam, and lacing up the back to tighten the corset. I also put a front-opening busc in every corset, which keeps you from removing the laces every single time you put your corset on. I don't see anyone doing as much beading and trim on their corsets as I do. I get very excited designing a corset and it ends up becoming a 'confection' when I'm done with it."
Which is why you'll never see dragon or butterfly print silks on Simone's corsets. Instead, she chooses unique colors and textures to make both her catalogue and Limited Edition lines, with each piece taking anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to create -- longer if it's a holiday season, "which is actually Halloween for costume people, not Christmas," Simone reports.
With a clientele as varied as her work -- Simone describes them as people who know what they want, from the corset-curious to the cross dresser and everyone in between -- Simone is never without inspiration for her designs. But even she gets attached to pieces now and then, citing her "post-modern" Overbust corset as her favorite because of its blend of historical periods and its representation of everything she's learned, Simone says the best part of her job is the feedback she gets from her customers.
"I'm very happy when someone contacts me from out of state to buy a corset because I feel like they are working to 'be themselves,' and they may not be able to get a quality corset where they live," Simone says. "Almost everyone who contacts me says, 'I've been looking at your site and I love your work.' That makes me really happy and lets me know that I have to keep doing what I'm doing. No one buys a corset on an impulse. I feel happy that clients like my work and they walk away happy with my corsets."
For more information or to buy one of Simone's corsets, visit www.exquisiterestraint.com, or visit The Pleasure Chest in West Hollywood or Farthingales in Santa Monica.
