Today we’d like to introduce you to Lily Blue.
Lily, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Currently, I am based in Los Angeles where I create unique bespoke garments for my private clientele. I was born in London and raised in both London and the English countryside. I began my creative journey as a sculptor and painter with creativity in my blood from the very beginning being brought up in a bohemian family of artists.
My passion for fashion I discovered by creating one-of-a-kind wearable art pieces inspired by my love of theatre and dance. At the age of 17, I awoke from a vivid and lucid dream with an undeniable urge to design clothes. And from that day on I’d take apart my thrift shop garments to understand and teach myself how they were made. My skills as a couture designer were greatly influenced and inspired by working alongside Vivienne Westwood at The Westwood Design Studio in Battersea, London.
Throughout my youth, I found myself fascinated by people’s perceptions of status and ones internal being dependent upon clothing being worn, and how what I wore changed how I felt, behaved and carried myself, leading to all sorts of bizarre, comical and fabulous styles and characters awoke within me.
I discovered creating personal fashion to be a great way to learn about and express different sides of myself and others. Today, those experiences are integrated into my work. I encourage my clients to collaborate, to portray and express their core being at an emotional level in order to understand how best to express their individuality and beauty.
Has it been a smooth road?
I enjoy being present with what my clients bring me and our collaboration reveals. Mainly I do my best to see obstacles and challenges as opportunities.
Sometimes easier said than done. I really do enjoy being an artist inventing new work all the time. It’s a constant journey of discovery!
I’m always faced with new challenges which keeps me on my toes and wondering how I’m going to do my next project. I am always a beginner, so my journey is with many twists and turns in the most beautiful and exciting ways.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I create bespoke wedding dresses/special occasion garments/tailored coats for those who desire distinct and unique one-of-a-kind designs inspired and made solely for themselves to feel beautiful, regal, elegant and unforgettable. My couture follows sculptural lines and silhouettes of the feminine to possess romantic, timeless seduction inspired by historical eras and cultures worldwide, from pre-raphaelite genre to the colours and textures found in nature.
In essence, my work is a celebration of the divine feminine through beauty and joy. I design one-of-a-kind fabrics from silks and laces, upcycling to create a vintage aesthetic of distressed materials. Many of my dresses appear to look as though they grow organically onto the body like a second skin. I encourage women to see the potential of their inner beauty, to embrace their bodies and souls.
The fashion industry can have unhealthy, judgmental approaches to the feminine form, counterproductive to individuals. I love to see people shine within their uniqueness and strength and not adhere to the narrow sense of perceived beauty prevalent and idolized in the media. I create my couture dresses and coats to accentuate feminine spirit and form – not catering to a confined ‘ideal beauty’ which does not exist.
Whilst traveling worldwide, I’ve seen so many beautiful people of all different shapes, colors, and styles. I reflect on this beauty, likewise, in my designs. What we wear is who we wish to express outwardly. Our thoughts, our words, and our actions create our reality. Hence I love to weave my clients dreams and aspirations with handwritten or embroidered words into the linings of their bespoke garments so that they become walking manifestations of their dreams and desires through an expression of what they wear.
When working with a new client, it’s important for me to meet with them either via Skype or preferably for tea, to make sure I’m the right designer for them and that they are the right muse for me. I get to know a client for whom I make a one-of-a-kind piece through a series of questions to bring to light layers of inner beauty. My client becomes my muse, with a collaboration of ideas, creations, and fittings until we arrive at their transcendent finished art piece.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I never imagined I’d end up in Los Angeles and love it as much as I do. It has certainly proven to be absolutely amazing. Always feels new and keeps me wanting more. The attitude in the art world here is positive and highly innovative. I’m constantly meeting brilliant creative people who inspire and who I can collaborate with. Everything feels possible here. My only complaint is… there’s not enough time to do it all.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LilyBlueCouture.com
- Phone: 3103394055
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: LilyBlueCouture
- Facebook: LilyBlueCouture
Image Credit:
Javiera Estrada, Emma Lorraine, Alex Miller, Michelle Magdalena Maddox, Kodiak Greenwood
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