The Bite Magazine - issue 16

the complex and perfectly made garment construction. “I also get a lot of my inspiration from more conceptual designers, photogra- phers or artists such as Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen whose signature is to combine traditional craftsmanship with innovative and futuristic tech- niques and materials. She counts Cara Delevingne as one of her favourite models because “she is absolutely authen- tic and real and doesn’t create this kind of fake imagery around herself. One of the most beautiful women to me is Ashley Graham as she doesn’t only look gorgeous but actively encourages women to embrace their uniqueness and femininity, no matter what age or size they are.” The three pow- erful women that this designer would love to dress one day are, “Beyoncé who represents pure female empowerment and passion; Lady Gaga for her extravagant and glamorous style; and icon Dita Von Teese who stands for timeless elegance and sophisticated sex appeal. I see these three women as a great inspiration source in terms of the values and role models they represent to me.” Whilst she likes sketching the design to start with to get some of her ideas down, generally Céline Marie has already made up the fin- ished look in her head and goes straight into the making process. “However, throughout the con- struction, the design will naturally adapt and grow. Also, I find it very hard to design without having my actual fabrics that I will be using. The feel, the details of the lace and the way it drapes on the human form always inspired me and new ideas often spontaneously evolve from unconscious movement or even mistakes.” She also finds it fascinating to see how a garment evolves during the making process and develops from a raw design sketch into a finished elaborate piece. She added, “As I like to work the other way round, my designs mostly come straight from my head to the fabric as draping and feeling the flow of the actual material always inspires me to do things differently than how I would draw them out on paper. So keeping in mind that every piece has undergone an interesting journey and has its own story to tell at its final stage is something I appreciate a lot.And being able to suc- cessfully translate and communicate an initial rather abstract idea into a physical creation is probably the greatest satis- faction to me.” Not much of a colour fan, Céline Marie tends to go for black as she loves mixing different densities and textures. However, saying that, she loves to add touches of red or gold for a more royal and pre- cious appeal while settled shades of earthly pastels are her preferred alter- natives to bright colours. Her favourite fabrics to work with are intricate lace especially Chantilly lace from Calais which she says is iconic for “its delicate ‘eyelashes’ along the scalloped edge.” The reason being, “its feminine and delicate nature automatically gives each piece this connotation of elegance and sensu- ality. Apart from laces in general, I love working with sheer fabrics such as silk chiffon or silk georgette and the effect of layering and creating interesting textures by manipulation the surface. Embroidered appliqué motifs are a great combination as I love their intricate nature but con- trasting outlines in combination with more delicate and plain fabrics.” Although she has a clear vision of where she wants to be, there are some missing tools and knowledge that she needs to realise her potential to the fullest. “My main goal is perfection, therefore I want to further develop my skills and go a more conceptual route. Also, I want to further research historic corsetry and combine traditional techniques with innovative and futuristic opportunities whilst contributing to the concept of ethically conscious fashion.” For aspiring fashion designers, Céline Marie would say to them,“From my own experience pure dedication is essential to be a success- ful designer and the will to fully engage with a project. In my opinion, fashion is not just something you can easily do on the side. Especially as a young aspir- ing designer, it is important to try and find one’s own niche and specialist area. Fashion is such a broad term which can head into so many different directions that personally, I think it is very impor- tant to determine where your true passion lies.” www.celine-marie.com bite lingerie