Burning List

So, you know how us Sassy Minxes heart pretty, pretty lingerie? And you know how we dig all things Burlesque too? Well, the gorgeous Miss Ruka, creator-girl of Sugarlesque has combined our two big loves and damn, the result is pretty. Really pretty. So pretty in fact, they make out hearts do a li’l skippy thing – j’adore.

What is Sugarlesque exactly?
Sugarlesque is a lingerie label created by a girl who loves fancy and outrageous underwear for other girls who love fancy and outrageous underwear; with a few more practical pieces thrown in for good measure.

Describe the girl behind the label in 5 words…
Umm … creative, forgetful, indecisive, determined, … and the people around me would say I’m bossy, but I’m not sure I would agree !

How long has Sugarlesque been established and what made you set it up?
I started by making nipple tassels during my first year of university while I was doing a special FX make-up degree and they suddenly got really popular amongst friends and friends of friends, so I decided to set up a website to sell them; that was 2004. A couple of years later I decided I wanted to branch out into lingerie – nipple tassels are really more of an accessory and a novelty item – and so I started a course in bra and knicker making in Leyton. The teacher was amazing; really patient, but I get very bored very quickly, so although I didn’t finish the course I dedicated all of my spare time to teaching myself how to make lingerie. And then at the end of 2007, I decided to register my business and try and take it somewhere substantial – and here I am!

What’s your creative process like – how does Sugarlesque prods go from an idea in your head to items of total prettiliciousness?
I have a memory like a sieve, so as soon as I get an idea for an item I’ll sketch it down somewhere – anywhere ! it usually ends up as a doodle in the pages of my diary-planner or something. Then when I get back to my studio I’ll try and re-sketch it, add some colour and try to make it into a more practical design. Often, the lingerie designs I pluck from my head are so intricate that they would take 12 hours to sew and so aren’t exactly viable options to make and sell; so I try and simplify it if necessary. I’m constantly collecting bits of scrap fabric and trimmings and sparkly things when I’m out, so I’ve amassed a huge collection which I may use to try and make a quick mock-up, put that on a dummy and take a few pics and see what comes of it. From that I can usually scale the whole thing down to create a more practical design and then try and tie it in with whatever the latest collection is that I’m designing.

What’s your fave prod right now?
I have 2! The first is my giant Alice gingham hairbows – I wear these all the time and they’re so cute. I love big big hair accessories and I always feel like a doll when I wear them.

The second is the Duchess high waisted powermesh briefs – they’ve got a long story behind them ! When I was still designing the new collection I was discussing underwear with a friend who is a burlesque performer and pin-up model, Slinky Sparkles. She started telling me about the camera club girls of the 1940s and 1950s who would wear the standard high-waisted stretch mesh panties, but censorship law at the time dictated that they weren’t allowed to show their “bum-cleavage” (for want of a better word …). And so they would have strips of fabric or lines of crystals sewn along the back of their briefs to protect their modesty ! I thought this was a great idea and would look so elegant and unusual on a pair of modern briefs, so I designed the Duchess briefs; which have a black satin modesty panel at the back which leads up into a big heart just underneath the waistband. I love them, they’re so strange but really sexy.

Is it hard to be creative and business-y too?
Yes – very well, for me at least it’s a real struggle forcing myself to sit down and type out invoices or sort through receipts when I could be playing around with ribbons and elastic instead. But I’m getting much better at disciplining myself these days and my time management is definitely improving … slowly.

What do you love most about what you do?
I love creating a finished product from scratch, it’s a really satisfying feeling when you hold up a bra or a pair of knickers and it’s better than something you could go out and buy because you’ve made it to your own exact specifications. And what girl doesn’t love pretty underwear ? I personally think I’m becoming obsessed …

What’s your motto for life?
Nothing lasts forever – good or bad. Sometimes when you’re stuck in upsetting or stressful situations, it’s easy to lose perspective and think things will be like that forever, but life changes so fast. Same with positive situations, it’s so important to make the most out of good times while they last.

If Sugarlesque had a soundtrack what songs would be on it?
All I could do was cry – Etta James
My Boo – GhostTown DJs
Sunshower – Dr.Buzzard’s original savannah band
Slip & Slide – Big Ben & Wordsmith
April Fools – Aretha Franklin

What do you love most about being a girl?
Everything! I love dressing up in pretty clothes and curling my hair and doing my eyeliner and putting on big gold earrings – I like the fact that as a girl it’s so easy to be really girly one day and dress like a boy the next and no one really bats an eyelid.

Who are your style icons?
Dorothy Dandridge – so beautiful and graceful, Barbara Windsor – for the hair, I love big hair – bigger the better! ?Immodesty Blaize – her costuming is so intricate and beautiful, she really understands the fairytale element audiences want to see onstage; I’d love to make her some underwear

If you could return to a specific era, what would you choose? 
I think I’d go back to the late 1950s/early 1960s for the dresses and the hair!

The Sassy List – what’s your favourite…
Book: Dian Hanson’s The History of Men’s Magazines Vol.1, 2 and 3 – most interesting history books I’ve ever read, and it’s a collection compiled by a woman so its fascinating reading about men’s magazines from a female perspective.
Website: OhNoTheyDidnt – it’s a guilty pleasure, but im a gossip junkie
Movie: Carmen Jones starring Dorothy Dandridge & Harry Belafonte
City: Paris, although London is my home and I really really love it here
Hang out: Barnett Lawson trimmings in central London; not really a hangout but if they didn’t have closing hours I probably wouldn’t ever leave …
Food: Pancakes with maple syrup and sausages

What does the term Sassy Minx mean to you?
Someone fearless and not afraid to wield their own female power!

Go check out the Sugarlesque goodness right now at www.sugarlesque.com and come back tomorrow for your chance to win a made-to-measure pair of Sugarlesque Alice briefs – I know, we spoil you!