Ever wanted to go back in time? Perhaps live in the Victorian era where the streets and buildings saw new life, decorated with such beauty and romance? Or how about simply dressing up to look the part?

Gallery Serpentine has you covered. They specialise in making gothic, Victorian, and steampunk fashion. The group initially started at the Camden Market in London and has since moved to Enmore and Newtown in the inner west district in Sydney. They’re regarded as a big part of the creative arts scene. Thanks to their alternative fashion styles, people are able to experience fantastic clothing that’s made to measure and flatter their figure.

“As we’re in between retail premises we thought it was an ideal time to take a break and get out of Sydney,” says Gallery Serpentine owner, Annette Rolfe. “Over the years we’ve had a lot of lovely customers from Canberra, so the Old Bus Depot Markets provided a really nice way to meet up with them.  

“We had such a good response that coming back for Makers-Con with its cosplay and steampunk theme seemed like a fun thing to do.  Our styles and designs play so much with time periods and are very wearable so we do have a lot of customers using our pieces to cosplay in with either characters from pop culture games and movies, or their own interpretation of historical figures, or characters from books.”   

 

“We’ve had a lot of lovely customers from Canberra”

 

Indeed, Gallery Serpentine received such a warm response that we’re glad to have them back. At their stall, expect to be able to try on a range of corsets that they make along with high-quality piratical and aristocratic jackets for men, and romantic Victorian-inspired skirts and bustle gowns for women. “Charlotte the Younger” will be looking after the steampunk kitty ears and jewellery section while the Gallery Serpentine sisters Annette and Steph will be busy lacing corsets onto people and doing fittings.

At the moment, they’re completely inspired by the Baroque period with its fantastic ornamentation and fabrics.  Annette’s created a ‘Baroque Scrolls’ screen print which they’re using on a gothic bridal gown design and on a range of corsets. They aim to make a few of those for people to try on too. Take this as cause for excitement and the designs are certainly very beautiful.  Expect coats and tailcoats for the men with fabrics to die for that are straight out of Versailles.

If you’ve been curious about corsetry but never tried any before, then consider Makers-Con on 9th September the perfect time. Visit Gallery Serpentine and experience being laced in over your clothing. Outside the markets, they’re  busy with corporate clients who are wearing either tight-lacing or high-compression shape-wear corsets to help maintain good posture at work. Annette says that it’s a buzz every time they lace someone in, and the person sees themselves in the mirror and say, “Oooh, I’ve never had a waist and now I have”.

To find out more about Gallery Serpentine, visit their website at www.galleryserpentine.com.

Learn more about Makers-Con on 9 September and other stall highlights by visiting our dedicated webpage at obdm.com.au/makers-con, and follow us on Facebook @OldBusDepotMarkets to stay up to date with the latest on Canberra’s Sunday Best.