More about Design By Claire...

Where do I start?

I've been sewing since I was about eight, and by the time I was about fourteen I'd inherited a very old sewing machine and was customising my own clothes. I've always worn second-hand clothes, especially while I was a student, and I'm interested in modifying and revamping to give old garments a whole new lease of life.

I have a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design, and a BA (Hons) in Typography & Graphic Communication. When I finished my degree course in 1997 my parents gave me a shiny new sewing machine as a gift, and I started making dresses from scratch as well as modifying existing clothing.

I started my first business, GothStuff, in 2000. I made a very eclectic mixture of things - hairpieces, painted leather jackets, glow-in-the-dark jewellery - and eventually things settled down into a range of skirts and dresses, and hand-printed t-shirts designed by my partner Paul. GothStuff, along with its companion site, GothKids, finally closed in 2007.

Design By Claire began in 2004, as a means of taking a step away from the gothic imagery, but still being able to work on unusual creations. I enjoy making custom garments from unusual fabrics - the more surreal the better! I like to make things which cause people to do a double-take, when they see the details they haven't noticed at first.

I make individual clothes for individual people, and it's important for me to do this in an ethical and sustainable manner. You can read more about that in the small print. I like to use old fabrics which would otherwise have been thrown away, and I like to use them in an unusual way. So what if your dress used to be a pair of curtains, or your skirt was formerly a duvet cover? It's one way of ensuring that you'll never see anybody else in the same outfit!

Please note that I no longer print t-shirts, or take on commissions for custom garments.