She creates pretty things. Vicky Kidd-Gallichan from Rockstars and Royalty, that is. And as a regular at Hustle&Scout she’s known for her glittering hand-made accessories and admired for her usual backdrop of stunning ‘big-princess’ gowns.
Rockstars and
Royalty has been with the twilight market since the get go, selling intricate
hair pieces, earrings, necklaces and rings. ‘I make all accessories by hand and
use a lot of roses,’ says Vicky. ‘Lots of roses.’
The two components
of the label name reflect the incredible diversity of Vicky’s talent as a
fashion designer—delicate light, glowing gowns for princesses and darker, more
alternative pieces for rockabilly women. The name came to Vicky in a flash as
she was listening to an interview by London fashion designer Basia Zarzyka. ‘Basia was talking
about her fashion and said she creates gowns for rockstars and royalty, and I
thought: “What a fabulous name for a business.”
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| Image: LORIANA | fotografia; Model: Paris Yves; Hair & Make-up: Pro Make-up by Lauren Cataldo; Gown: Rockstars and Royalty |
Vicky’s pieces, including her cocktail and other special-occasion dresses, are all one-off. Indeed, there’s no ‘same same’ to anything this designer does. ‘Most of my commissions are for wedding dresses,’ says Vicky. ‘The women who choose Rockstars and Royalty have a strong sense of personal style. They’re confident and want something unique.’
At Hustle&Scout
you get to meet Vicky and have a chinwag about how she works and learn about
the process she uses when designing a garment. Most clients present an idea to
Vicky and, in line with the modern times in which we live, many have compiled a
selection of images from Pinterest.
‘I adore sitting and
talking to customers about shapes and colours and what they do and don’t want,’
says Vicky. ‘Then I draw and we have another chat and we look at fabrics and
other elements. It’s all about getting the customer involved.’
Vicky has always
been creative and started sewing at a young age after seeing her Mum make
clothes for her two daughters. She remembers wearing a beautiful peach taffeta
bridesmaid’s dress her Mum had made.
Vicky’s Mum taught
her the basics of sewing and she’s since taught herself all the skills and
techniques needed to create one of her pieces, with each one taking hours and
hours of painstaking concentration. Vicki’s first big creation was a gown and
cloak she made to wear at her end-of-year formal when she was 18 years of age.
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| Image: LORIANA | fotografia; Model: Rachelle Dawson for HAUS Models; Hair: Guerilla Hair; & Make-up: Lottie Le'Strange - Alternative Model and Makeup Artist; Gown and headpiece: Rockstars and Royalty; Styling: Hannah Allen |
One of Vicky’s claims
to fame is her corsetry, a strength not many fashion designers have. She
specialises in Victorian-style corsetry which she includes in most of her
gowns. Although sewing has always been a huge part of Vicki’s life, she has a
degree in jewellery and silver smithing and wrote her dissertation on the
history of corsetry and its place as a modern fashion garment. Around that
time, Vicky also made her first corset.
Vicky started
Rockstars and Royalty in 2007 when she moved to Canberra from the United Kingdom.
In between
Hustle&Scout twilight markets, Vicky is busy as a bee creating her
collection for FASHFEST 2015, with opening night just a couple of months away (13 to 16 May).
This is Vicky’s third year at the pre-eminent, red-carpet fashion event. Her
new collection, called ‘Cherries in the Snow’, is inspired by that amazing
shade of lipstick that Revlon launched in the 1950s and still makes to this day. ‘I wear it and I love
it,’ says Vicky.
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| Image: LORIANA | fotografia; Model: Rachelle Dawson for HAUS Models; Hair: Guerilla Hair; & Make-up: Lottie Le'Strange - Alternative Model and Makeup Artist; Gown and headpiece: Rockstars and Royalty; Styling: Hannah Allen |
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