Clare Bare at the Lingerie Designer Showcase
"I did fashion for two semesters then I dropped it, then I did fine art and printmaking and I was really into doing a lot of texture-based artwork, whatever it was; mosaic, printmaking, etc. So when I first started making underwear, it came about kind of through a printmaking project that I was doing so it was really nice to get back into that this time around and this is one of my prints that was made from a fabric collage that I made, it was actually layered pieces of fabric that I scanned and then manipulated & flipped. I’m really inspired by symmetry and mystical elements and things like that. And then I have another print that’s really subtle, it’s just black on black it’s like a nice texture. And you can’t even really see it when it’s on, so that’s something that I thought was really cool—that you can’t see it from very far away. And then everything is hand dyed, so this teal color is made from Caribbean plants that are ground up and then I learned about all these unusual processes and hand dyeing things and using aluminum as a mordant to allow the dye to adhere to organic fabrics. So I’ve been doing a lot of tie-dyeing and dip-dyeing so this is the Caribbean plant dye, and this is logwood from Brazil mixed with lac from India, it creates kind of like a pinkish color. Pinkish purple. And then the other colors that I’m using—this is logwood just by itself. So it’s a nice purple. And I’m using a lot of nice heavy silks and a lot of different fabrics than last time. So it’s fun, it’s been a lot of experimental pieces this time that I’m really excited about.
I think this [Anatomical Harmonia Bodysuit in Rubelite Dye/Hyper Floral] is my favorite—it’s really cool layered and I’ve worn this out and gotten a lot of response from this. The way I line it up is you know, very anatomical—even these lines kind of almost act as darts or shape you in a way without the actual darts being there and then the V is strategically placed, you know [laughs]. And just the way it lines up from the side is really nice ‘cos the flowers are kind of like a mirror. I also really like this set [Calliope Bewilder Bralette and Sheer Panty]—this teal color is really amazing. The fabric soaks it up. I only really dye it for 2 minutes and then I have to fish it out otherwise it gets too saturated. So that one is really fun but functional at the same time."
From top to bottom in order: Eternal Daze Cut Out Romper in Cloud Dye; Eternal Daze Cut Out Romper mesh print detail; Anatomical Harmonia Bodysuit in Rubelite Dye/Hyper Floral; Veda Totem Garter Tank in Hyper Floral; Ouvert Open Back Tank Dress in Logwood Dye; Calliope Bewilder Bralette and Sheer Panty
