MEETING WITH CLARYSSE

Back on our meeting with Clarysse, young dresser who will be present at the hotel Le Pélican during the Venetian Carnival of Annecy on Saturday, March 12th to welcome you in traditional costume.

- What brought you to this passion?

"The Venetian carnival! When I was little, I used to go every year to the Venetian carnival in Annecy. One year I came back with a princess dress and then, the year after, I came back with a little mask. Since then, I have not stopped making costumes!

 

- When did you start your first creations?

"I went to my first carnival with a dress in 2011. Two years later, when I was 13, I started to have a real costume on me. At that time, I didn't especially have a sewing machine so I made do with what I had: glue gun, little hand seams, ... I would take second-hand wedding dresses and dress them up with lots of things I could find in stores."

 

- Are you self-taught or did you take classes?

"Initially, I learned everything on my own. In my family we are not dressmakers at all. My mother had the wonderful idea of giving me a sewing machine for Christmas when I was 14. Since then, I have never stopped sewing. I continued my studies in a general high school and then, being sure that I really wanted to continue in this field, I started a diploma of show business technician in dressing technique. I then took sewing classes on the side."

 

- You use the term "dresser" how would you define it?

"The term 'dresser' I will really use it on a professional level. As a dresser, I obviously create the costumes but I also am present backstage to dress the actors and take care of the maintenance of the costumes. There are really two dimensions that interest me: the dimension of the dresser and the dimension of the costume designer. However, eventually being a costume designer would be my dream."

 

- Exactly what is the difference with a costume designer?

"The costume designer really undertakes the creation of the costume but is not necessarily going to be backstage at the time of the show or the shooting. He will imagine the costume, create it and give form and life to the character, who is finally embodied in major part thanks to the costume.

 

- What are your inspirations? 

"First of all, the masked people that I see in the street during the wanderings. But I also draw a lot of inspiration from the Dada artistic movement which is a movement with a lot of costumes. There is also the historical costume, notably seen in films or in books. I am also inspired by the various plays that I will be able to see. The idea of the creation that comes out of a play or something completely contemporary will really inspire me. My inspiration also comes from everyday things: an architecture, a plant, ... In the end, it can be anything!"

 

- Who do you follow as influencers or designers?

"In terms of social media, I will rather follow cosplayers, people who reproduce costumes from cartoons, movies, ... I am inspired by them for the idea of creation but also for the use of different materials. This is a great source of inspiration, not so much on the final result but on the process. How do I go about doing something on these materials, how do I create from something in motion." 
 

 - What is your creative process?

"I'm not going to be the type to draw beforehand. That's something that I find I don't do too well. I start with an idea that I have in my head that I will write down. Then I'll go to different stores to look for materials and textures that inspire me. Maybe even buy some samples. Once I get home, I stand in front of my mannequin with all the fabrics on a table next to me. I then start laying them directly on the mannequin and projecting. If I used this fabric, if I did this pleat, if I did a bow, and if I added this, what would it look like? I'm directly going to give my costume a texture."

 

- What is your latest creation?

"My latest creation is a cosplay. I realized it for a shooting which took place in the park of Sceaux last summer. It is a fairy costume with wings that were bigger than my arms. It was really a challenge for me because the wings had to hold, but they also had to be quite soft and light since I was wearing them on my back all day. It was a challenge that worked well. Everything ended up great and I'm glad it did!"

 

- What is your favorite creation?

« My favorite creation is the Venetian costume that I will be wearing on Saturday night. It's my favorite costume because it's the one I went to Venice with for the first time. It was my dream to go there and I had the chance to realize it thanks to absolutely wonderful people. Making this costume was for me the opportunity to fulfill my dream. It really has a lot of sentimental value."

 

 

 

 - So, you will be present at the hotel Le Pelican during the Venetian festival in Annecy on Saturday night where we can admire this costume. What will be your role?

"My role will be to welcome the people present at the event, to wander around and, I hope, to really help make discover the beautiful aspects of the Venetian carnival to those who do not know it.”

 

- Is it possible to order costumes from you?

"Yes, it's something I'm doing and it's my ultimate goal. In fact, I already have some orders at the moment. To order you can contact me on my Instagram page @rayon_desoleil where I post all my creations quite regularly. I am then told about a starting idea. Later, together we see how it is feasible according to the budget and time constraints. From there, I send a measurement sheet that the person takes herself and then there is nothing left to do but create!"

 

- By the way, what is your creation’s time frame?

"It depends on the costume. I've gotten into the bad habit of not calculating the number of hours I spend on a creation when I do it for myself. The last costume I made I did in a short time and it took me a little month. I was still in school at the time so I worked on it when I got home from 6pm to 2-3am. I can spend my nights on it. I don't see the time passing by because I'm so into it. However, we are talking about a certain number of hours of work between 100 and 200 hours. So, there's work to be done!"

 

- Can you give us some advice for those who would like to go ahead and create their own costumes?

"Follow your dreams! If you dream of making a Venetian costume, a princess dress or anything else, don't hesitate to go for it. There are a lot of advice or good people on social media. People who post their costumes are often ready to answer questions and help, I am as well. You shouldn't be afraid to get started. With the right advice from the right people, I think anyone can achieve wonders."

 

- Where can we find you?

"Mainly on my Instagram account @rayon_desoleil. I also have a personal Facebook page where people can contact me."

 

- Any final words?

"Thank you so much for hosting me. It touched me enormously that I was offered to do this wandering and that it was taken so seriously. It is a job that is not very recognized. It is seen more as a hobby, as disguises when it is absolutely not the case. There is real work behind it."