Gilly Woo

Burlesque clubs have been encouraging their clientele to make a huge effort to glam up, and we can certainly boast that we are the best dressed industry in the world. Many people go overboard with fantastic, flamboyant costumes, out doing one another in the glam war.

So, with so much demand for high fashion burlesque costume we thought we ought to cover the best in bespoke burlesque fashion. This month we popped in to visit fashion designer Gilly Woo and check out her stunning new collection.

Gilly began her sewing addiction at the ripe old age of six with an obsession with buttons and fabrics. She even quit her college course in design and textiles after just three months when she realised that she could do better out there in the wide world and got herself a job in retail. When she was head hunted by corset makers Special Sauce she knew she had found her niche.

Her brand is now one year old and has grown from strength to strength; her reputation for creating work of the most stunning and glamorous ilk has gaining her many faithful and loyal customers in the burlesque world. Venus Noir and cheeky burlesque presenter both regularly wear the Woo brand.

Gilly told us that the boom in burlesque is definitely helping boost her sales, it’s a fun, glamorous and brave market to design for and it’s her personal mission to bring back the fob watch and the feather boa. Glamour is on the increase, it’s time to dress up to the nines, black tie, fine dresses and the clink of Champagne.

Normally Ms. Woo only deals with bespoke design, but her latest creation is a made to order collection.  The new collection features a great interchangeable system, where you can mix and match a Suit with a corset, dresses and office style designer wear. The new collection is bound for a cat walk show soon, and you can be sure it will be in true Gilly Woo style; a sophisticated and highly elegant event.

Gilly also organises an opulent sit down dinner event, Camp Splendour & Silly Nonsense, with burlesque entertainment and tons of glamour. You may think that fitting all this in with her busy schedule (including having a full order book for wedding dresses up until November) would be exhausting. It is evident that Ms. Woo has a nuclear power station buried inside her somewhere, her presence one of constant energy and sparkle.

As she explains, from the very beginning burlesque was a word she associated with her designs, the whole vintage glamour and theatrical Victoriana is synonymous with the Gilly Woo brand.

So if you’re looking for something uniquely cool, and guaranteed to turn the heads of the most hard to please burlesque fashion critique, take a look at the new Gilly Woo collection. We will let you know when and where the big cat walk show is taking place.

To view Gilly Woo in more detail check out her website

www.gillywoo.com