This week I was visited by Salford On-line Journalists Rosie and Hannah for a video interview.  It is a year since my last interview, so must has happened since including the new studio and the new Spring/ Summer collection.  Keep a eye out on the Salford On-line web-site for the interview video, we will also up-load it to our You Tube page.

Salford-Online Video – Collette Costello Fashion Designer

The Salford-born fashion designer is on a mission to revive those lost skills that were once considered the norm in every household.

Collette thinks that interest in her courses is so high because these are skills that have generally been lost.

“I am quite shocked at how many people are contacting me that haven’t used a sewing machine before and have absolutely no idea how to make clothing,” she said.

With her new spring/summer collection launched on her website, Collette spoke to us about how there is more to her clothes than meets the eye.

“This collection is more about recreating skills that may have been lost in the past, traditional English skills such as hand-embroidery, and creating this idea of the English countryside”.

The courses are on offer from spring/summer, in line with the opening of her brand new fashion studio in Ordsall.
Classes will boost people’s confidence in making their own clothes, including making a simple bag, a retro-style summer skirt, or if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can even make your own dress!

Collette’s ethos is clear to see: she simply wants to get back to basics and recapture a dying craft.

“I do think a lot of these skills are coming back into fashion. Some of it may be due to the recession, and some people are starting to understand that it’s better to have clothes that even if you’ve made it yourself, you know where it’s come from”.

She describes her new line as the romanticism behind an English summer’s day, personifying the idea of sitting in the countryside “sipping a cup of tea, having a picnic”.

It seems the only way is up for this Salford seamstress!