easter fair: preview of red anchor emporium

New to reetsweet leeds on saturday is Ellie aka Red Anchor Emporium, hailing from Derbyshire. Ellie is a burlesque performer and established Red Anchor Emporium in 2010. Surrounded by crafts and especially textiles growing up, her grandparents had their own lingerie company and Ellie used to spend school holidays there as her mum also worked for them.

Ellie is inspired by the fashions and styles of the 40s and 50s, and by the glamour of the silver screen and the burlesque queens of its heyday. She is also a collector of buttons and boxes full of trim. She creates beautifully finished underwear and stocking bags, purses and pouches, and they are all fully satin lined, she uses vintage fastenings and buttons and each item is one of a kind...catch her from 10am at reetsweet this sat at leeds corn exchange.

only in my dreams...

"Imogen's Imagination is the result of desire...albeit my desire to have a new hat to wear to every burlesque night I attended and not having the funds to do so! I started the label in 2005 and within weeks I was stocking the alternative shop Ultravixen (coincidentally the founder of Peek-a-boo, the first burlesque night in Sheffield).

This pleasurable partnership lasted for over a year, during which my designs regularly being seen around the city and receiving a great response. I was also privileged to be featured in Total Tattoo Magazine as part of an Ultravixen fashion spread with the delightful Kitten von Mew as the resident pin-up. In September 2008 I re-launched Imogen's Imagination with vigour and now present to you the much expanded business you now see.




Whilst the original range originated with burlesque roots, it now aims to offer bespoke headwear to meet your needs whatever the occasion. Whether you need something for the weekend, a showstopping accessory for your performance, something to top off your race day outfit or to wow the wedding guests, Imogen's Imagination will always provide a timely, personal, professional and affordable service. I am currently studying millinery as an evening student at Leeds College of Art and Design...hopefully you'll see some of the fruits of my research in the library coming through in my designs!"

Imogen appeared at the Dec fair and was very well received, come see her new designs on feb 6th at leeds corn exchange...reetsweet!

A quick Q&A with Sophie from 'Imogen's Imagination'...your new favourite lady!

Reetsweet: Sophie, how did Imogen's Imagination start out?

Imogen's Imagination is the result of desire...albeit my desire to have a new hat to wear to every burlesque night I attended and not having the funds to do so! I started the label in 2005 and within weeks I was stocking the alternative shop Ultravixen (coincidentally the founder of Peek-a-boo, the first burlesque night in Sheffield). I was also privileged to be featured in Total Tattoo Magazine as part of an Ultravixen fashion spread with the delightful Kitten von Mew as the resident pin-up. In September 2008 I re-launched Imogen's Imagination with vigour and now present to you the much expanded business you now see. Whilst the original ideas originated with burlesque roots, it now aims to offer bespoke headwear to meet a much broader client base and to suit all occasions. Imogen’s Imagination has now developed into a brand which provides everything from smaller hair accessories to a brand new collection of hand blocked vintage style hats which are totally on trend for Autumn/Winter 2010.

How do you continue to be inspired?

Inspiration is vital for fuelling imagination and I find it in many guises. Be it vintage millinery, current fashion trends, the glitz of burlesque or something as simple as finding a new flower from a supplier, these references all influence my designs. I love anything that can be worn at a jaunty angle thus filling the wearer with increased inner confidence and a sense of downright gorgeousness. Sometimes though, the inspiration is the client. When Katy of Serendipity Photography commissioned her red felt trilby for her personal photography project, it seemed natural to source a strawberry print lining to compliment her red strawberry logo. The lining fabric was provided by Sarah Waterhouse a Sheffield based designer who prints her designs by hand and Katy was thrilled with the results. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=434224&id=215477190200&page=2 My inspiration for the Autumn/Winter 2010 collection was very simply the things I love in the world most apart from anything sparkly…animal print, fur and 50’s themes. Luckily these were also the key themes which ran throughout the international fashion shows earlier in the year. I have taken these elements and given them my own very wearable, desirable and down right strokable twist. If youd like a sneaky peek, you can find them here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=495962&id=83326905523 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=495313&id=83326905523

How did you get involved with Reetsweet?

My involvement with Reetsweet came about by a chance meeting with Rebecca at the Marvellous Tea Dance at the Faversham earlier in the year. I was very honoured to be invited as a stallholder at the next Reetsweet event and I’m really looking forward to it!

Reetsweet would like to thank Sophie for her interview....you can see Sophie's work at the fair in the corn exchange on Nov 7th
11am-4pm!

Introducing Julia from 'The Mistress Collection'...saucy!

A short Q&A today with Julia one of our stallholders attending at reetsweet in november...

What was the inspiration behind your craft?

To create luxury lingerie which is handmade, personal and of a very high quality. To create products which are elegant and playful, classy and a little bit provocative.

Who do you imagine enjoys and buys them? The Mistress Collection sells to both women and men; providing brides with knickers personalised with their new married names (or other meaningful phrases!); and presents for Valentines, Christmas and birthdays. Our wide range of colours and options for embroidery and Swarovski crystals mean they can be very personal items.