interview by : Vanity Kills
photographer : Amena Assaily
creative director : Pretty Deadly Stylz
fashion stylist : Pretty Deadly Stylz
makeup artist : Jenn Aqui
hair stylist : Pretty Deadly Stylz
model : Michelle Gray
What do blushing brides, goth girls, and Tinseltown types have in common? A mutual love of making an entrance, that’s for certain. And at least one made-to-measure corset meticulously crafted in the Toronto studio of Dianna DiNoble, where for the past twenty years this acclaimed waist sculpting goto woman has been making hourglass dreams come true under the name Starkers! Corsetry. Whether it be an ivory silk overbust finished with pearls and flowers suitable for a fairytale wedding, an extended thigh-grazing underbust concocted from crocodile embossed leather conceived with Montreal Fetish Weekend in mind, or a sapphire cincher for Jennifer Love Hewitt, the fruits of Dianna’s labor facilitate a perfect fit for every curve of every customer by drafting a pattern from scratch based on the individual measurements provided. “Off the rack” simply doesn’t exist in her vocabulary.
While Starkers! has garnered quite a following amongst faces one might easily recognize from their TV screen, such as cast members of True Blood and Dexter, DiNoble adheres to the philosophy that realizing each client’s one-of-a-kind needs, famous or otherwise, lies at the heart of her company. Dianna’s uncompromised dedication to customer satisfaction accounts for two thirds of the secret formula behind’s Starkers! success. The remaining third is attributed to the magic conjured up by the Gabrielle overbust and its cleavage-enhancing powers. Here’s to two more decades of dressing for excess.
What lead you to focus exclusively on bridalwear for your latest collection which was shown at FAT, Toronto Arts & Fashion Week, 2012?
Dianna DiNoble : It was my focus because it has been the focus of my clients over the past few years. When Starkers began, nearly twenty years ago, I primarily catered to the goth scene and made mostly black leather, brocade, and strappy corsets. It has made a gradual shift to more formal and bridal, and I believe it’s still the same individuals that I made corsets for in the 90s they are now older and wanting something more offbeat than a typical wedding dress, or formal gown. Corsets have also been predominant in wedding gowns, and brides like to have one that they can trust will be comfortable to wear all day because it’s custom made to measure. Also for a custom designed and fit bridal gown,
the price is good.
AUXILIARY ONLINE CONTENT
[ additional images not seen in the August/September 2012 Issue ]
view the full feature in the October/November 2012 Issue
