Feature Friday: Von Myrce
This month’s feature, Clair Von Myrce, has an eye for creative upcycling and a knack for turning unique fabrics into wearable art. Inspired by Gothic and Renaissance aesthetics, the garments and corsets she crafts have an imaginative, fairytale quality to them, while still embracing a modern and distinctive style.
It is this ethereal quality is the foundation of Clair’s creative work, inspiring everything from flowing silk chemises to structured cathedral corset belts. “The allure of an imagined, historic otherworld is what my practice is built on really,” she explained. “I love the idea of prancing through moonlit ruins and across stony, storm-weathered ramparts, voluminous gown billowing in an ethereal breeze. There’s something about the mystery and wonder of an ancient, folkloric past that ignites the fire of inspiration.”
“I think it was Jane Eyre that inspired me to sew,” Clair continued, revealing that her fascination with all things eerie and mysterious started from a young age and that eventually led to a love of historical clothing. “It’s such a classic Gothic novel, all gloomy halls and crenelated ramparts. Even though Jane’s attire is repeatedly described as willfully plain and austere, it intrigued me. My teenage self wondered, what is a ‘black stuff frock’ and what did her ‘pearl grey silk’ actually look like, what was the cut, the style?”
But while she learned to sew early on, it wasn’t until later that she turned her hand to exploring different fashions and how they could be woven into daily life. “I’d always been an oil painter and studied fine art initially,” she explained. “Throughout those studies though I started to get back into textiles, spending my weekends cutting and sewing increasingly more eccentric outfits to wear on my daily jaunts to art school. I distinctly recall going to work in my studio wearing an old gunpowder flask made of horn on a leather strap as an accessory once, and telling my friend I was going to be late to a lecture because I was sewing a ‘last minute cravat.’ In a way it was those initial years of sartorial playfulness that opened my eyes to the pure, unadulterated joy of clothing and ornamentation. People say fashion is frivolous, but I think we all need a bit of frivolity in our lives. I relished pushing the boundaries of streetwear and examining the nexus between costume and fashion. After all, I’m still not really convinced they’re distinct from one another.”
Now she shares that sense of playfulness with the world through her clothing, allowing others to embrace a unique aesthetic of their own. “I think historically inspired fashion has a kind of transformative and transportive power,” Clair added. “It momentarily pulls you from the mundanity of daily life and into a sort of otherworldly space within yourself. It can allow you to perform an alternate version of your identity.”
While much of her inspiration comes from historical styles, her work in theater also plays a large role in filling her creative well. “Theater work has definitely influenced my historical fashion label,” Clair shared. “Working as a costume maker at the opera especially has influenced the historical shapes and silhouettes I’m interested in. Opera is so willfully camp, the plot lines so outrageous. There’s something about the exhilaration of theater too; the aura of hushed anticipation in the dimness backstage, the tiny, labyrinthine corridors between dressing rooms (especially in old theaters), the live orchestra in the pit and the distant sounds of the crowd. Theater kind of opens this liminal space for the imagination to roam and be as giddy and gaudy as it pleases.”
But that is not her only source of creative joy. She finds collaborating with clients deeply rewarding. “I love it when people commission one of my styles but customize it by selecting a vintage fabric from my collection. It takes a lot of back and forth…but it’s so worth it! Some of the requests I get are pretty wild, sometimes in alternating panels of fabrics I would never have thought to put together but look amazing. It’s a pleasure to be able to bring life to someone’s vision and collaborate creatively.”
Yet though she makes new garments for her clients, her creations are always firmly rooted in both an appreciation of the past and a respect for the future “I think an important aspect of my work is that I try to be as sustainable as possible,” Clair explained. “It’s not necessarily part of my aesthetic or anything, I just think it should be a given that anyone with a clothing business in this era should be thinking to environmental preservation and ethics.”
“With that in mind, I use upcycled textiles as much as possible (all my garments are lined with upcycled / vintage fabrics, so even if yours isn’t a custom order, it’s still unique on the inside) and any new printed textiles are linen (one of the more sustainable fibers to produce) or a blend of organic and upcycled cotton fibers, all printed using sustainable printing techniques. Any animal products (like leather or fur) are sourced second hand.”
You can find all Clair’s work on her website, www.vonmyrce.com, and you can follow her on Instagram for even more inspiration (@vonmyrce)!