After speaking with Gina at length, I presented her with 3 concepts to choose from for this custom couture level piece. I was so pleased when Gina chose my favorite idea, something I had had in the back of my mind that I wanted to create for a very long time.

Rather than duplicate an extant piece of Japanese traditional dress or a piece of Nuido, I suggested we use a combination of traditional and unexpected materials and techniques with a healthy dose of contemporary fantasy art in order to design something new and distinctive. I experimented with several different ways of rendering the dragon and my client and I both agreed that this leather and silk scale look was the most unique and impactful.

I created the body of the corset in my favorite Italian leather and trimmed it with handmade red silk satin binding. I rendered the dragon in a combination of 3-D English Stumpwork and Goldwork techniques utilizing gold leather, French silk thread, and Japanese gold passing threads. Swarovski crystal and English gold plated sequins accent it.

I designed the Obi inspired belt to be integrated into the corset itself, so the client would not have to tie the belt each time she wore it. And I was so happy to hear she won the “Best Corset” award at her event!