I have an annual tradition of going to renting a historic mansion in an out of the way California town for a weekend retreat/birthday party. Crow Mansion is not just a beautiful place to spend a couple days with my favorite people – it's a beautiful Victorian mansion with a pool.

Part of my tradition is to also do a photoshoot with my close friend and frequent collaborator, Alyx Ryan. I try to make myself a new corset (or two) for the occasion. This year, whimsy struck me, and I knew what I wanted to make was a swimming corset – my first such prototype.

Pop Antique "Swimming Corset" | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyx Ryan | Modesto, CA

A recent commission called for both heavy duty powermesh and synthetic whalebone – perfect materials for experimental construction. I wanted to balance a moderate waist reduction, even higher mobility than my standard supple approach, and of course, minimize the risk of rust or other water damage.

The resulting corset is an underbust in two layers of heavy powermesh with no waist tape and boned with synthetic whalebone. I estimate that the waist stretched about 2" during wear, but I didn't want a waist tape that would inhibit swimming or create a bulge above and below the waist due to sudden variances in compression. Instead of a busk I used a heavy duty plastic zipper. I minimized the use of metal parts to reduce the chances of rusting. There is a heavily coated steel underbusk and the usual metal grommets – these are the only metal components.

Of course, I have several ideas for how I want to take the idea from here! Possible future variations include: single layer, elastic waist tape, solid fabric overlay to stabilize waist, more playing with patterning techniques to optimize the shaping for the unorthodox material. I may offer an intro special while I work out these elements, though my queue is closed until the fall.

If you're interested in ordering a swimming corset, the price range would be based on my usual made to order, plus an add-on rate – likely $100 added to the base price of the corset. I would probably recommend a Demoiselle base and pair it with the bathing suit or bikini of your choice!

L1361530 Pop Antique Swimming Corset Victoria Dagger Alyx Ryan.jpg

Pop Antique "Swimming Corset" | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyx Ryan | Modesto, CA

I've been posting pictures here and there from one of my favorite shoots from last year, but I have yet to collect them in one place. This I consider to be a ridiculous oversight! I'd like to make these photo features a regular occurrence here, showcasing the talents of my photo team and breaking down how I styled the looks.

Pop Antique corseted jersey sheath dress. Model: Victoria Dagger. Photo © Max Johnson.

Pop Antique corseted jersey sheath dress. Model: Victoria Dagger. Location: Isotope Comics. Photo © Max Johnson.

I kicked off 2014 with this shoot and I think it was particularly fine for coinciding with my goals for Pop Antique's photography. It bursts with vibrant tone-on-tone and has a fun modern-gone-retro vibe. I'm also pretty pleased with how the experimental jersey corset dress came out (eight months later, I wore it to the fancy Saturday night dinner at the Oxford Conference of Corsetry).

Corset dress & fascinators: Pop Antique
Latex bow ring: Lust Designs
Harness: Karolina Laskowska
Earrings: Kalico Delafay
Model: Victoria Dagger
Photos © Max Johnson

Special thanks to Isotope Comics, our location for the interior shots!

Pop Antique corseted jersey sheath dress. Latex bow ring by Lust Designs. Model: Victoria Dagger. Location: Isotope Comics. Photo © Max Johnson.

This dress is a prime example of my signature "Integrated Corsetry." A single layer bespoke fit corset is built into a simple long-sleeve sheath dress with a plunge neckline. (This style could also be executed with a standard fit corset.) The lacing is hidden behind a closed back and the busk is replaced with a long, extra sturdy zipper. What I love about this silhouette is that it is so pure: the construction and details are so sleek that silhouette is all you see. With bones and binding hidden, the shaping of the waist reduction and hip spring takes center stage.

Max and I were also shooting the array of fascinators I make. From the pillbox bow to the double decker, all of these fascinators feature carefully proportioned nylon horsehair, hand sewn into shape. The styles are travel friendly, lightweight, easy to wear, and versatile. Between the fascinators and oversized latex bow ring, the look takes on a modern cocktail style. The earrings shown were handmade for me as a birthday gift by my friend and talented colleague, Kalico Delafay. I love how the strappy harness (Lidia, by Karolina Laskowska) continues the line of the strong black zipper. With the neck strap loosened and the waist strap snug, the Lidia harness tailors even a simple t-shirt to a corseted shape, though this dress is, of course, already corset fit. Lastly, I wore my go-to Betsey Johnson heels with corset-back detailing.

~Marianne Faulkner
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