Oxford Conference of Corsetry

Champagne Goes to Oxford - Part 1

Imagine a weekend traveling to Oxford, England where Corset Makers from around the world gather, share industry secrets, brainstorm ideas, inspire each other and talk non-stop about corsets!! I had the privilege to be a part of this experience and I welcome you to my recap of the Oxford Conference of Corsetry 2017.

Oxford Conference of Corsetry
Photo by Tavan Photography

Jesus College.

Champagne Goes to Oxford - Part 1

OCOC is held at the Jesus College in the city of Oxford and this is the fourth year in its running. I booked my place 8 months in advance and literally counted the days until I was sitting in my seat on the plane. I arrived a few days early to Oxford to explore the famous architecture, other historical universities, museums, libraries, and of course, the shops!

And So It Begins!

Champagne Goes to Oxford - Part 1

On the first day of the conference I arrived at the Jesus College where I was greeted with a goody bag and shown to my room. I then joined about 50 other corset makers to begin a weekend of scheduled workshops, design presentations, tons of tea (A MUST!) and a lot of networking.

Stella attending a design workshop
Photo by Tavan Photography

Here I am at one of the design workshops, clearly enjoying it, as I had no idea photos were being snapped!

Other corset makers, including Laurie Tavan, Barbara Pesendorfer of Royal Black Corsetry & Couture, Marianne Faulkner of Pop Antique, Caroline Woolin and Gerry Quinton of Morua Corsetry & Couture, headed the classes and workshops.

We had 2 educational seminars on marketing and branding, one with Catherine Clavering of Kiss Me Deadly and the second with Mike Stevenson of Thinktastic.

The Corset Table

The Corset Table where corset makers display their gorgeous wearable works of art for everyone to study, admire and try on.

Foundations Revealed
Photo by Tavan Photography

Here I am studying the beautiful work by Cathy Hay, founder of Foundations Revealed.

The Fabric & Embellishment Bar

The Fabric & Embellishment Bar consists of piles of fabrics, laces, trims and appliques that people bring to swap or donate. I had brought with me laces and fabrics I wasn’t using from my own personal library and swapped them for other fabrics I felt more inspired by. I am excited to use them in my next project!

To hear more about Champagnes visit to the Oxford Conference of Corsetry, check out Champagne Goes to Oxford – Part 2.

Do you currently own a corset and would like help styling it? Or perhaps you’re ready for a custom handmade corset of your own. Let’s get started! I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Please comment below.

Cheers!

Images enhanced by Intimatology