We talk to Kate Mior of Totally Waisted Corsets about how to juggle a business in corsetry with a career as an international street performer!

1. First, briefly introduce yourself and tell us something about your interests apart from corsetmaking.

My name is Kate Mior. I am the face behind Totally Waisted! Corsets, based out of Toronto, Canada, a small business that I run when I am off-season from my day job working as an international street performer. In my spare time (when I'm not training or making corsets!), I enjoy watching experimental animation (especially from Eastern Europe!), playing my piano and spending time with my poor boyfriend, who never gets to see me!

2. How did you get into sewing? When did you begin?

I actually started sewing so I could make myself corsets, like a few other people, I'm sure! I began in early university, it was something to do to keep my hands busy...I hadn't re-discovered juggling yet!

3. When did you start making corsets? What was your first inspiration then and what is it now?

I learned how to sew by making a corset. Well, not exactly. My mother taught me basic sewing skills like hemming and installing zippers and such, but I pretty much picked up books, locked myself in the basement at night in a Boo Radley fashion and eventually emerged with my first corset. I took apart a corset that had been made for me, but developed my own pattern based upon my personal comfort needs. I was definitely hardcore into the goth thing so my first corset was pretty goth: black velvet and deep plum satin.

Over the years and through my travels, my style and taste has changed a lot. I'm now quite heavily inspired by the antiques in my collection and creating looks inspired by nostalgia. My visual style (be it for my own performing work, films I made in school, etc.) has always been very influenced by the work of Yelena Yemchuk, so I really enjoy images of etheral beauty, Victoriana, etc. Visual artist Tina Imel, a faithful client and friend is also up there. I'm lucky she lets me bounce ideas off of her when I'm creating new pieces.

Lately, I've been in love with the work of James Thierree, who is Charlie Chaplin's great-grandson and an incredible circus artist. His shows are so visually stunning. While I do enjoy fashion and I try to stay up on the latest trends, I usually take my inspiration from atypical sources.

4. Is there a large community of corset makers in Canada? Just a few words about your clients, and corsetmakers you respect. Are corsets popular with Canadians in your opinion?

I think there is a large community of corsetmakers... I am hardly in the city enough these days to keep up on that sort of thing, but, there have been quite a few companies coming in and out of the scene. I love Lace Embrace Atelier's work, I am also a huge fan of Lovesick Corrective Apparel. I used to have wonderful shop-talk days with friend and colleague Gillian from Corinthia's. She was a great supporter, which you may think of as an oddity considering we both were local to Toronto and making similar products. Just proof that although it is famous for being volatile, fashion can also be a nurturing industry.

In terms of my clients, for the most part, they have been wonderful! I am fortunate enough to have a client base that places an order with Totally Waisted! because they want a piece made my me, as opposed to having me make black underbust number 126857373. Corsets are still quite popular in Toronto. Most of my work comes from all over; I recently had a potential client in Singapore inquiring about a piece.

5. However do you fit corsetmaking in with your other career as a street performer, and all the travel you do with that?

I used to produce corsets full-time and retail out of a shop in Toronto, as well as work the conventions and trade shows. Eventually, my career in circus took over and I had to run with it.

I've been really lucky because I've cultivated a clientele that is more interested in working with me on a project as opposed to having generic corsets made. I'm also fortunate that my "day-job" (if you can call it that!) is seasonal and that work season ends right as taking orders for bridal season picks up. It's also really nice to have some alone time after touring around the world playing for thousands of people and constantly being around people.

I've got a really great groove going on; I take orders at the end of September/early October every year and close off the ordering process in February, so I can finish and send out the last corsets before May. I only take on limited orders which keeps it manageable. I've been lucky; because I've been in business for quite a while, I am able to take the shingle down and put it back out and still be able to drum up business each year.

I'm very grateful for how things have worked out all-around. Because I trot all over the globe for my work (this year alone I've been to Europe, Africa and now Southeast Asia three times) I get to experience all sorts of interesting cultures and have visual stimuli that are very inspiring. It has definitely shaped and influenced my personal style and 'vision' (whatever that means!) for my own work.

6. Describe the main ways that you work with clients – selling finished garments, face-to-face contact with customers, clients at a distance?

I'm not entirely sure what this question is asking, so... here goes: I break things down into categories: local clients, mail-order clients, bridal. All corsets are custom-made to my clients' measurements and all patterns are either drafted from scratch (for modern fits), or carefully adjusted from antique re-drafts (from my antique collection). I'm reluctant to use words like 'bespoke' to describe my work, but, I do strive to create unique pieces and I never make the same corset twice.

Local clients have the benefit of being fit in person, which will produce the best and most accurately fitting garment, and with my mail order clients, we chat over email and I send out a mock-up and ask for photos so I can gauge any adjustments needed. This approach seems to be the most typical for mail-order custom garments. Bridal is not just about the dress, but about the experience, so I typically have several meetings and fittings with my in-person bridal clients. With my mail order bridal clients, I do my best to keep them abreast of the progress, so they feel that same thrill that the local clients feel.

7. What skill do you feel is most invaluable for corset making?

Time and experience. Humility. Creativity. And a good business mind. Actually, I'll say a good business mind is the most valuable thing. It's awesome to have skills, but really, anybody can learn those. And lots of people can fake creativity. But what really encourages longevity in any career is understanding how business works and treating business skills with the same level of interest as making cool clothing.

8. What would you say is your speciality?

My specialty, eh? (<--there's some good ol' Canadian stereotyping for all y'all). I'd probably have to say probably mid-Victorian shaping. Some fancy I'm the "lace" person, since I'm a bit obsessed with lace and all the fun one can have with it. I absolutely can't stand cheap lace and can spot it a mile away. Also... I guess, lately, probably "exotic" fabrics. I've been traveling to Singapore quite a lot for work and have had the good fortunate of networking with several exotic textiles shops over here (I'm currently in Malaysia on a gig). It's been definitely influencing my work.

9. What's the most ambitious corset you've tackled yet? Craziest design, strangest materials? Describe any efforts to sew something unusual, and tell us about your conclusions.

Hmm. Most ambitious? Probably re-drafting an S-curve. I've been working on one pattern for nearly three years on and off. I've been too busy with orders and Other Job stuff that I haven't worked on it since last year, but, where our intrepid heroine left off, she actually got the fit and shaping correct on the last mock-up... Otherwise, I've pretty much done it all: PVC, leather, fetish bodysuits, corsets for stiltwalkers and aerialists... nothing fazes me anymore, but I do reserve the right to hate tulle and sequins.

10. What layers do you use in your corsets?

My corsets are only two layers: interfaced fashion fabric and coutil. I don't line my corsets. I prefer the historical accuracy and comfort of an unlined corset, personally, plus, my innards are so beautiful, I want everyone to see! ha ha.

11. Do you use steels, spirals or a combination in your corsets?

I use only 1/4" (6mm) flat steels in my corsets, since I generally make corsets from the Victorian period, to keep it more period accurate. I know what you're thinking: "What about sharp curves?!" On sharp curves, I'm just intelligent about where I place the bones. I'm not a fan of spirals, but I've worn corsets that use them and they were lovely, they just aren't for me.

12. What equipment do you use in your work?

My powerhouse domestic sewing machine. I call her "Ol' Betsy", my dressform for draping, I call her "Ulie", my Macbook Pro, so I can listen to one song on repeat all day long (seriously.. it helps me focus and it drives everyone around me nuts), and a cup of coffee.

13. What are you working on now?

Currently, I'm finishing up another robin's egg blue corset (it seems to be my 'signature' colour) when I get back to Canada, as well as a couple of stock pieces for my Etsy store. I am also drafting up a top secret project that I'm DYING to talk about, but I can't right now. Expect big things from Totally Waisted! in 2011 is all I can say right now. ;)

14. What techniques or materials do you want to experiment with in the future?

Right now, I'm looking towards experimenting with how corsets can be used as a true foundation for building silhouettes from. Aside from that, I'm starting to think about maybe working with more patterns. I usually work in fabrics with no patterns (solid colour silks, leathers), but I'm really getting excited by the idea of using patterned fabrics that I can manipulate to create interesting shapes and textures. ...that, and colour. Singapore has totally blown my mind in regards to colour theory and all the possibilities for colour!

Thank you very much for your time, Kate!

You can see more of Kate's work on her Live Journal and Facebook