CORR BLIMEY (FASHFEST feature)

As a fashion designer student, she showcased a collection on the runway at Sydney Fashion Week, and there’s been no looking back for Corr Blimey’s Louisa de Smet.

One of the stalwarts of the Canberra fashion industry, Louisa’s fashion is often created out of precious and limited runs of fabric. She’ll always be on a mission to stand out in a market saturated with mass-produced clothing. And that’s why Corr Blimey is a perfect fit for Hustle&Scout.

Louisa and her partner, Steve Wright, create pieces that are not ‘mere garments’ but ‘highly wearable, functional sculptures for the human form.’

So what is Corr Blimey anyway?

The phrase has been around for centuries. It made its debut in print in a dictionary of slang in 1889—an exclamation of surprise derived from the phrase ‘God blind me’. And it was in the spotlight in the famous tune ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman’ that soared to number one in the Australian singles charts in 1960.

Fast forward to today and Corr Blimey has built its reputation for stylish street wear for guys and gals, including drop crotch trousers. Louisa says Corr Blimey’s modern take on the famous dustman-style pants is about a relaxed, comfortable fit—concepts very much in line with the brand.

It’s the sculptural approach to streetwear that makes Corr Blimey such a hit with its devoted fans and both Steve and Louisa get a real buzz when they see their designs being worn.

 
‘We’re not interested in massive runs of garments,’ says Louisa. ‘We’re more about bespoke pieces and work often with limited runs of fabric, so when we run out we run out. It just means those who own a Corr Blimey piece own something special. There’s plenty of mass produced clothing available but it’s not where we’re going with our label.’

Travel is important, and Louisa and Steve have hopped on a plane to Berlin several times, finding each visit more inspirational than the last. So it’s no surprise that Louisa’s 2014 collection, launched at FASHFEST last year, was entitled ‘Berlin’. And no surprise that the influence of Germany, and its reputation for amazing design, is an influence with her 2015 collection, ‘Propaganda’, which she’s working on now.

‘Propaganda is all about message with an action,’ says Louisa. ‘It’s a call to arms for good design. We’re trying to send a message that clarity of design can create harmony and balance.’

As a fashion designer, Louisa loves the freedom of creating clothing based on concept and design principles, not the bottom line. ‘Every piece I make has a meaning behind it and is meant to inspire,’ says the designer.

Corr Blimey also collaborates with Louisa’s brother, Aaron de Smet, who studied Gold and Silver Smithing at the ANU School of Art. His sculptural pieces, which can be worn as jewellery or used as objets d’art, are a big hit.

BEING CREATIVE (Debut designer)

Tell us about your label, Being Creative, and how it all began.

I’m an artist/creative-type and work in many media including painting, photography and writing and recently I’ve returned to my roots, ceramics. Testing out new designs led me to smaller one-off wearable art pieces and now I’m revelling in the creative possibilities.

What do you love about working with ceramics?

I love the tactile nature of working with fine clay and the way it can be intricately formed into sculptural pieces. I am a hands-on designer and I enjoy building structures. Glaze and firing technology is a mysterious and awe-inspiring process that turns earth and raw elements into beautiful glass-like objects and I am often delighted by the surprise factor.

 

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Art is in everything. I am constantly soaking up the beauty of nature and the richness of built structures. I work instinctively, but I am informed by the world around me.

What can market-folk expect to find at the April event?

Unique one-off jewellery designed and hand-made by Jeni McMillan, the artist.

 
 

What is it about Hustle&Scout that made you want to be a stallholder?

Hustle&Scout has a great reputation. I’ve returned to Canberra after living for years in France and would appreciate the opportunity to be part of a vibrant art and design culture.
 

 
 

MY FAVE THINGS

New moons, leaping of cliffs into crystal clear water and creating something unexpected.

Guilty pleasure: Counting my blog hits at 2am

 

What you wanted to be when you grew up: Wonder woman.

 

Fav fashion piece you own: A burnt orange trench coat

 

Place to unwind in Canberra: Mt Ainslie

 

Your role model/s: Frida Carlo and Picasso because they dared to be different.