In September of 2014, following the Oxford Conference of Corsetry, I travelled to Bath, England with new friends Beata Sievi (Entre-Nous) and Lowana O’Shea (Vanyanis), taking in some of the Roman Baths, museums, and churches.
I also had the pleasure of modeling a piece for Beata, photographed in the 400+ year old library in Oxford.
Beata is a very experienced couture corsetiere from Winterthur, Switzerland. As a psychologist-turned-designer, Beata places much importance on intimacy and relationships, and as such her aesthetic is focused around poetry, romance, and sensuality. Her pieces are entirely one-of-a-kind and she tends to build a rapport with each client to create breathtaking pieces suited precisely to the individual. In the interview below, you will see some cutaways to some of her past works, including a Samurai inspired corset, a corset covered with love letters, etc.
As filming interviews was not permitted on location in Jesus College, this interview was filmed in the gorgeous dining area of our hotel in Bath.
Timeline:
0:35 How were you first introduced to corsetry? How did you come to love corsets?
3:35 How did your relationship with a corset enthusiast at the start of your business come to influence your artistry and romantic corset designs?
7:20 Why did you choose the name Entre Nous for your business, what is its meaning and significance?
8:40 If you could choose a favorite corset you’ve made for a client in the past, which would you choose?
11:55 What is your favorite part of the creative process?
12:20 Since you don’t get the opportunity to create as much corset art as you like (where you are given full creative liberty by a client), what part of your business is the most enjoyable to you? Designing, teaching, etc?
14:20 What is your least favorite part of corset making/ the creative process?
17:50 How long have you been in the corset business?
18:05 With so much experience behind you, is there anything you’re looking forward do in the future? What are your goals and aspirations for Entre Nous?
You can find more of Beata’s work below:
Beata’s blog of her designs: beatasievi.com
Beata’s blog for corset making: ecoleducorset-entrenous.com