With my Couture Collection, I tell a story through lavish, one of-a-kind designs using rich, luxurious materials. This season I was inspired by the glorious life and legacy of the ‘Queen of Pearls’ Elizabeth the First of England. As an ode to her brave beauty I combined splendid, stretchy velvet with luscious lace and black pearls. Referring to her regal, yet playful character, I added glamorous ruffs to the form-finessing designs. And how about the pièce de résistance of the collection: a spectacular tapered bodice, sure to bolster your confidence... and more! Wear my Queen of Pearls collection and dare to transform the mundane into the majestic!
The royal Queen of Pearls collection contains a truly unique piece: the corset top. This traditional corset flattens the breasts and lifts them upwards, creating a lavishing décolleté. To create this desired effect, the ribs in the corset have to be placed in the exact right position.
To make sure the black pearls stay put, the pearls are strung by hand and then sewn to the fabric. After every six pearls, an extra knot is added to keep them in place. This asks for a lot of precision, because not only do the pearls need to be carefully sewn to the fabric, the spacing between each pearl needs to be exactly the same.
Placing the lace strip that lines each garment is a meticulous job that has to be handled with great care. Each strip of lace has to be placed in the right position by hand. But that's not all, it also has to be perfectly folded, keeping the right distance for each fold at all times. A job for perfectionists!
