Black Meringue

Choose your weapons

Black Meringue showcases the new bridal range from Angels Carrying Savage Weapons and meets the heavenly duo behind its creation

Husband and wife design duo Lindsay and Lee Fidler launched their bespoke corsetry company Angels Carrying Savage Weapons in 2005, having both gained valuable experience in the fashion and graphics industries.

“It was an exciting time starting the company,” explains Lindsay. “We spent a long time researching the ‘ideal product’ which would be interesting for us to take forward but could also grow from a business point of view. We fell into corsetry after a friend asked me to make her a corset for her wedding. I had been a pattern-cutter for years, and although I had never tackled a corset before I had cut patterns for lingerie companies and high-end technical sportswear, so I jumped straight in.”

With the emerging popularity of the burlesque scene and artists such as Dita Von Teese, corsetry is a niche product which has seen a major comeback in recent years. “Our inspiration and passion for the garments come from the heavily-structured corsets favoured by the Victorians and the glamorous looks of the 1940s and 1950s,” says Lindsay. “Although we wanted to have a retro, vintage feel to the garments, we didn’t want to go down the road of reproducing retro copies. We wanted to create a luxury brand that was both sensual and seductive, yet would make the wearer feel empowered.”

Lindsay and Lee began work on the ACSW bridal range in 2007. “With the nature of the items that we design, it was just a matter of time before we started getting requests for full bridal ensembles,” explains Lindsay. Their kitchen-table business soon developed into a 1,500sq ft workshop and studio close to the Enterprise School in North Nottinghamshire where Lindsay teaches classes once a week. The studio means clients are able to arrange visits for personal consultations, for anything from undergarments to full bridal outfits, and there’s plenty of inspiration on hand to get the creative juices flowing.

“The design process can start with something as small as a button,” says Lindsay. “Found objects, music, old films, art and fabrics all contribute to our initial ideas. We jot ideas down as we think of them; some may not make it into the present collection but elements are sometimes saved and pulled into future collections.” All ACSW garments are handmade to the customer’s measurements, whether they have chosen an item from the current season’s collection or designed their own bespoke piece. This is possible because everything is made in-house. Lindsay and Lee have total control over the manufacturing process, which means they can be more flexible than some designers in their approach to commissioned items.

Although most bridal companies would prefer their customers to order their bridal wear months in advance, ACSW has catered for many clients with less than two months to go to the big day. “Some ladies can’t find the dress that they want, or find that their shape has changed and have left it until nearer the time to make a final decision. In a few cases the cost implications of a bespoke gown has drawn them to us.” Lindsay describes ACSW as "small but perfectly formed". The company sources virtually all its fabrics from within the UK, which allows for more flexible lead times on garments when a rush bridal gown is needed in a hurry.

The bridal service is completely bespoke; customers are invited for a consultation to discuss their requirements, with no obligation or pressure to order their gown there and then. During the appointment clients can discuss the type of wedding they are having and the venue, season and time of day when the ceremony will take place so that all these elements are considered in the garment’s design. Some clients opt to adapt the bridal outfit so it can be worn again. “The beauty of a two-piece corset and skirt ensemble allows brides to wear the corset with other items, and maybe have the skirt altered to wear again. We encourage our brides to be fully involved in the design process; some of them bring scrapbooks with lots of ideas for silhouettes, trims and colour combinations – even something like the design of the wedding invitation has evolved into a fabric pattern to be printed in-house,” explains Lindsay.

During the consultation, Lindsay and Lee spend time putting together some sketches for the bride, to give her an immediate idea of what her ensemble could look like. Once their perfect gown is chosen, detailed measurements are taken and the client is booked into the production schedule. Careful checks are made at this point to ensure lead times on fabric sourcing will meet the time demands of the client. “From start to finish, depending on the time of year, we can design and make a full wedding gown in less than a month,” says Lindsay, “although a little longer allows us to ensure we can get in the fabrics and any crystals or trims the customer requests and reduces any last-minute panic.”

Before cutting the final fabric a cotton sample of the garment called a toile is produced using the customer’s measurements as a uide for the finished.

Once the sample gown is made the client is invited back for a fitting. The sample will be made with all the bones and busk for a corset, as well as petticoats for the skirts if required. Although the sample is made in cotton, it gives the bride-to-be a good idea of the final overall shape and fit of the garment.

Following the first fitting, any fit and style changes are made to the design and the pattern altered accordingly before the final fabric is cut.

“Cutting out the gowns is a very precise job as just 1mm extra on each seam can make the corset up to an inch bigger,” explains Lindsay. “Each corset has at least four layers, and a lace/devore overlay corset has five in total. One of our new corsets requires 120 individual fabric pieces to be cut out over the four layers.”

As the corset nears completion, the boning is measured, cut and capped. The boning is made from spiral steel and is cut in-house. Each corset contains approximately seven metres of boning.

Once the boning is inserted the ends are hand-finished, the corset is then bound and eyeleted for the lacing.

The ACSW bridal collection will be available from October 2008. “Although the collection is made up of completed bridal outfits, these are just ideas or possibilities; the sky really is the limit in terms of creativity and design,” says Lindsay. The bridal range starts from around £500, increasing to around £1,500 depending on the fabrics and trims chosen by the bride. The collection also offers matching lingerie, millinery and jewellery for a complete in-house top-to-toe tailor-made look.

Consultations with Lindsay and Lee are by appointment only at the ACSW studio, which is located five minutes from J28 of the M1. For more information contact Lindsay or Lee on 01623 448865 or visit
www.angelicweapons.co.uk

Win! £1,000-worth of bespoke bridal wear

courtesy of Angels Carrying Savage Weapon

To celebrate the launch of its bridal collection, Angels Carrying Savage Weapons is offering one lucky Black Meringue reader the chance to win a complete ACSW bridal ensemble worth £1,000.
To be in with a chance of having your own bespoke bridal gown designed and made by Lindsay and Lee, simply answer the following question:

Approximately how many metres of boning are contained in a single ACSW corset?

Two runners-up will receive a 20% discount on any ACSW purchase to be redeemed before 20 February 2009.
Answers should be sent via email to edit@blazepublishing.co.uk. For your entry to be valid it must include: Name(s), full address, day-time tel, evening tel and email address
The closing date for this competition is 31 January 2009.
The winner will be the first entry chosen at random from the editor’s flat cap. Good luck!

BM