Team work really does make the dream work. The people that help us create our product are talented and specialist. There are so many technical aspects to making well fitting bras, and taking them up to a size 36H is structural architecture at its most intimate. We think the makers in our production chain have skills that need to be treasured as they aren't common. They have such great value and help shape our brand into something with heritage and connection.
Adrian is a fabric cutter. He's from Tottenham and has worked with us since the beginning. He cuts out the card patterns, feeds the machinists with cut work and ensures the sample making room is stocked with the elastics and fitting fabrics it needs to run smoothly.
Were you interested in fashion growing up?
Yes, I was heavily influenced by Mods and Ska, Hip Hop and skateboarding.
Is your personality type precise and neat as these are key elements to your job role?
Lol no not at all, i'm all over the place. But when I get to work I focus and keep a very tidy space.
When you were younger, did you know this job existed?
The first time I heard about this type of job was going to the careers advice centre when I was sixteen.
What inspired you to get into fashion?
My uncles.
Can you describe the difference between cheap and expensive lace?
Cheap lace is scratchy and easy to put your thumb through. Hard to cut and un-uniform. Expensive lace is softened, rested and treated as a natural product. It's more resistant to catching and snagging.
What are some previous roles you have done within the fashion industry?
As an upholstery cutter for Hitch / Mylius, a military tailor for Kashet & Partners and a technical fabric co-ordinator at Coulthards Lingerie. Always been cutting.
What have been some major changes you have noticed from when you started in lingerie cutting to now?
More internationalism in sourcing and less young people coming through with the interest in making. The cutting, sewing and pattern making, and being engaged with that job role solely.
What are your hobbies?
Being a funky nerd.
What’s your perfect lockdown night in?
Good music, some cocktails, a nice meal and some fun!
What would be your advice for people interested to follow in your steps and enter into a fashion sample making or production environment?
Get a basic education in garment construction and sewing. Cutting is a skill you learn on the job. Everyone has their own style so do a lot of temp cutting jobs to learn the nature of different fabrics. Get experience in how people work and time management and that'll make you an all round better cutter.
By Abbie Miranda.
