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| Photo: Kim Khaos by Mark Liddell Photography. Featuring Grace robe, tear away set |
To add another installment of burlesque costume goodness I
would like to introduce you all to burlesque performer Kim Khaos.
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| Blue tear away bra for Innocence Bliss |
Kim Khaos is a shimmy shakin',
heartbreakin' bump n grinder based in Glasgow. Her performance style is heavily
influenced by the golden era of burlesque and has a strong exotica flavour. Kim
is also an accomplished sideshow performer specialising in glass performances,
earning her the tag line 'The Glass Girl of Glasgow'. In addition to her
performance skills, Kim launched her costuming business Exotic Ecdysiast in
February 2016. Her costumes have travelled all around the world, from London
and Paris to New Orleans and India. Her costumes have a very distinctive look
and have been styled and inspired around vintage burlesque wear.
Exotic Ecdysiast by Kim Khaos provides
traditional and vintage style burlesque costume to the modern age!
I have interviewed Kim about her business and here is what she had to say…
I have interviewed Kim about her business and here is what she had to say…
What
is your background in garment construction and/or design and/or ornamentation?
How long have you been costuming for?
I started my business Exotic Ecdysiast in February
of this year, but I have been making my own costumes and taking commissions
from performers in the local area since I started performing in 2012
How
did you become involved in burlesque/stage costuming?
I quickly realised when I started performing that my
sewing skills would be very useful within the industry! I've always loved
making things, so burlesque gave me a fantastic opportunity to make all kinds
of accessories for myself and others.
What are some of the challenges
of burlesque/stage costuming?
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| Molly Teaser in pink bespoke tear away set and panel skirt. |
Making
burlesque costumes is a lot more involved than any other kind of stage wear,
partly due to the fastenings and fit. Every piece needs to fit perfectly and be
able to come off as easily as it comes on, so there's a lot of extra thought
that needs to go into the construction and shaping of each piece.
Describe
some of your favourite projects?
I recently made a nude illusion full costume for a
lovely client, and it was one of those rare occasions where everything just
came together really quickly and easily! The end result was just beautiful -
really delicate and exactly as we had both envisaged it - a real joy to work
on.
Which
performers can we see wearing some of your work?
Since EE launched I have made pieces for: Innocence
Bliss, The Death Do Us Part Danger Show, Ruby Trix, Babette Bijou, Luna TikTok,
Peachy Malone, Molly Teaser, Volcanic Ash and Cara Delahoyde (Cirque le Soir)
Who
would you love to make a costume for?
I would *love* to make a costume for Trixie Little!
She is one of my absolute favourite performers and her costumes are always so
clever and inventive.
Have
you always had a design in your head that you would like to fulfil?
This changes almost daily! I can never switch my
brain off, so sometimes just seeing a piece of trim or a specific colour can
set my mind racing! At the moment, I'm pretty fixated on making one of my Grace
robes in a rich maroon velvet trimmed with black coque feathers - I'll let
myself make it once I've gotten to the bottom of my never ending to-make list!
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| Photo: Kim Khaos by Mark Liddell Photography. Featuring nude illusion set |
What
aspect of costume making do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy working with my clients to design and create
their ideal costume pieces - sometimes this can be challenging (getting certain
kinds of trims and fabrics in the UK can be tricky!), but it's always worth it
in the end when the pieces are sent off to happy customers!
If a
new performer was looking to get a costume commissioned/constructed, what
should they consider?
Definitely consider how to use costume to make your
act pop! For example: lots of fringing on a bra can add serious impact to a
shimmy/bump n grind style act. Another thing I would suggest is investing in
multi-use pieces - costuming can get really costly, especially when you're just
getting started, so I would say investing in a really beautiful and well fitted
set that you can use for a couple of acts while you're finding your feet will
serve you well.
What
difference would a new performer find from off the rack to commissioned pieces?
Commissioned pieces will more often than not fit a
lot better than off the rack pieces, which makes a huge difference to the
overall look of a costume/act. My most popular item (embellished tear away
bra/thong set) is made to measure for every customer, because especially with
the bras, if the sizing is wrong for the wearer, it can totally destroy the
look of the costume, and more than anything, it's just really uncomfortable to
wear!
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| Peachy Malone wearing purple Grace robe. Photo by Red Bairn Photography |
All costumiers tend to have a style of costume/way
of making or presenting their work. Can you describe what you think makes an
obvious Exotic Ecdysiast piece?
Sparkle and swish! Two of
my favourite elements to work with in my designs - I love making the big
swooshy Grace gowns, just due to the drama a twirl can create; and making
rhinestone encrusted sets brings me so much happiness! Who doesn't love a
sparkly showgirl?
Do
you do courses at all from pastie making, general repairs, how to
embellish/crystal, etc or do you save you skills for your own work?
I am in talks with the wonderful folk at the Glasgow
Festival of Burlesque at the moment about potentially running an embellishment
workshop at the festival in November - I'm still working everything out, but
details will be published on their website once we've got everything confirmed
- I'm really excited about sharing the sparkle love!
What
would you consider important performer must have items?
First and foremost, a good pair of strong fishnet
tights (my preferred brand are Capezio), matching lingerie that makes you feel
unstoppably fabulous and a gorgeous pair of pasties/tassels. Nothing can stop
you with that kind of kit!
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Sassy La Showdoll in robe embellished by Exotic Ecdysiast |
How
long on average does it take to make a costume?
It entirely depends on what the client has asked for
- I tend to say most pieces take around two weeks to make, but entire costumes
can take up to a month if there are multiple layers to be made and trims
arriving from all around the world!
What
are you most asked for/popular items?
Gowns and tear away sets, definitely! I've added a
new option to my Etsy store to incorporate alternative designs and colours for
the sets, because I was getting multiple custom orders for different
colours!
How
should a performer care for their costumes?
Gently handwashing anything embellished is a must!
Delicate rhinestoned knickers don't like the washing machine. Gowns and
dresses, I would recommend getting dry cleaned just to be on the safe side. As
long as you look after your costumes, they'll look after you!
What
would you like to experience in your creativity and/or your business in the
near future?
I would love to continue to grow and start taking
stalls at shows and events outside of Glasgow and showcasing my work to the
wider burlesque community. I recently shot a look book of my basic staple
pieces with the wonderful Mark Liddell Photography and I'm in the process of
getting them printed to showcase my work.
What
are your long term plans for Exotic Ecdysiast business?
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| Cara Delahoyde wearing crystal tear away set |
Long term plans include expanding my whole range on
Etsy and branching out into creating some different styles of pieces. I am also
looking into getting stocked in some physical locations within Glasgow too,
which would be amazing!
I would like to thank Kim for her time with this
interview. For more about Kim be sure to check her out via the below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EEcdysiast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ExoticEcdysiast/
Stay tuned for more burlesque posts coming soon!
xoxo
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