Victorian Woman Tell us a bit about what Victorian Woman is and what you do? Victorian Woman is a French fashion accessories brand. All the designs are handmade and are sold as unique items or limited edition. I mainly use luxury fabrics such as silk, satin, taffetas or brocade, laces. The particularity of the brand is that it marries two worlds: fabrics and jewellery with genuine gemstones. I am inspired by fashions from the past, the alternative culture, legends and mysteries and these inspirations can be found in my designs. I propose to my clients to highlight the Gothic Chic style by offering them to wear the accessories the elegant women in days of old wear: underbust corsets, hats, hair accessories, lace jewelry, belts, purses and bags, spats, cloaks. I think that past accessories are very distinctive and feminine. They are made for women who are searching for original and elegant fashion accessories. I want to bring those accessories out of the Victorian period, out of the alternative culture, and make them rediscovered by the general public. I do think that the Victorian Woman designs can be worn every day. The everyday way of dressing can be enhanced with sophisticated accessories and give a more glamorous style with small original touches. The sense of detail, quality, and the exclusivity of our designs is our priority. We provide a certificate of authenticity with each design that guarantees to make a limited number of them in order for its customers to always feel exceptional. Are there any accessories you sell that are personal favorites of yours? That’s a difficult question because I make fashion accessories as if I was making them for myself, so that I love them all for different reasons. But as I have to choose, I will do my choice within the last collection: I love the “Eclat d’or” corset (Golden fragment) and matching fascinator that are made from a damask golden silk. They
are adorned with tiger-eye gemstone beads, satin roses and ribbons. This silk is very soft and bright. I have called it “Golden Fragment” because of the colour and because I found it to be a golden nugget of the collection. I also choose the “Nuit Indienne” corset (Indian Night) and matching corset necklace because of its cascades of obsidian and azurite-malachite beads. The turquoise blue silk is very attractive and the taffetas appliqués are finely made. I am attracted as you may know by legends and mysteries and India is a country full of that. For me, this colour evokes the mystical India and its gods, often represented with a blue face and blue hands. The lace necklace “Rose de Chine” (Rose of China) is made from a fine black lace with roses, adorned with organza flowers, amethysts beads and a rose quart with a symbol meaning “Long Life”. I also like the necklace pendants “Corsets” (red and black) because they can be worn with an evening and sophisticated dress as well as with a casual one. It’s a really versatile necklace and the appliqué of the corset as adornment is representative of the universe of the brand. One of the things you sell, and that is incredibly popular within the alternative market is corsets. What qualities would you say makes a perfect corset? The corsets that are found on the corset market are not always “real” corsets. I do think that many corsetieres are thinking like me. You can find many “bustiers” that the sellers call “corsets” because it has the shape of a corset, but it is not one; they are not made in the same manner and not with the same material and care. Seeing them on the internet, you can check the difference thanks to several details such as the price and the general look. The art of corsetry is like every art: a corset has to be made in a special manner to meet its goal, which is to shape the body. The major qualities to make a perfect corset consist
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