Who am I?

My name is Cecile, but most people call me Cici.

What do I do?

I am a UK-based Belgian costume maker specialising in men’s tailoring and period costume. I believe that my love for tailoring and period costume roots from the fact that they both require structure and great attention to detail, which, being a meticulous and detail-oriented person, greatly appeals to me. I have had the opportunity to work both for screen and stage and will happily continue to do so, as well as widen my horizons in a variety of projects.

How did I get here?

After starting a course in fashion design, I quickly realised that I was more passionate about the history of fashion and the construction part of the creating process than I was about designing. Considering this, I decided to become a costume maker. I left the course with this new goal in mind. Knowing that I would have to study and live abroad, I decided to work for a few years to finance my studies.

I later studied costume construction at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. My time there solidified my desire to become a costume maker and confirmed my love for pre-1920’s costume. I also discovered a passion for modern men’s tailoring, which I have been able to develop through both personal projects and freelancing in the Royal Opera House’s tailoring department.

Fun facts about me

• One of my goals in life is to become a crazy old cat lady… I’ve started early!

• If you want to put a smile on my face, there is an easy recipe. You’ll need a kettle, a large mug, a fair amount of water and any type of tea you can lay your hands on!

• My favourite kind of night out is a night in.

• I have more tattoos than I have spent years on earth.

• On holiday aged 5, I decided to construct a sculpture with stones from the hotel’s garden. That evening, the gardener put them back where they belonged. My 5 year old self proceeded to recreate the structure the next day. This went on for 14 days.