Mirjam Maramaa
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Producer
Mirjam (pronounced like the English version of the name, Miriam) is the envy of many fashion aficionados as she handles gorgeous materials every day, although for her this is work not play.
Born and educated in Estonia, she pursued her creative studies in London to become a sought-after vintage haute couture restorer, seamstress and designer. Vintage wove itself into her every waking moment when she got to know and collaborate with a leading London dealer.
To gasps of admiration from her listeners, Mirjam showed a succession of photos of dresses dating from the 1920s to the 1970s (the broadly accepted span for the term 'vintage clothing') on which she had advised and worked. It seemed little wonder that some people categorise such garments as 'wearable art.'
Firing numerous questions, everyone marvelled at the dresses which would be confined to museum cases but for skilful tailoring by Mirjam, who has repaired and fitted headline-grabbing outfits for stars gracing such jamborees as New York's Met Gala - for which tickets cost up to $25, 000 - and the Bafta Awards.
Mirjam said: "I have been very lucky to be able to work in my subject, which is vintage fashion and vintage haute couture dresses."
Financial information in the trade is cloaked in secrecy, partly because many of the robes change hands in private sales, but prices at auction have been soaring. In one sale for which details were released, the Vintage Couture auction in November 2012 at Christie's South Kensington, £567, 200 ($907, 520) was realised, with the most conspicuous lot an Elsa Schiaparelli black velvet evening jacket of 1938 which went for £73, 250.
The dresses that are referred to Mirjam for alteration are all unique. Some have been worn by famous people and that is known, sometimes she is unaware of the wearer provenance.
Mirjam showed a picture of a 1924 (Gabrielle Chanel) dress due for auction in the final days of June 2014 at an estimated price of £6, 000.
Another showpiece item was a 1930 creation of Cristóbal Balenciaga labelled Eisa (the name of his mother and of his first shop), with an extremely small waist of 48 cm, necessitating a special corset underneath. Among other touches, Mirjam had refurbished the buttonholes by hand.
A dress by Christian Dior from 1954 was next on the screen, followed by a 1960 specimen with the seams reworked by hand.
Mirjam's log continued with a design by Hubert de Givenchy, and a black velvet opera coat with white mink fur collar and white silk satin lining from the 1920s - "I really want it, but I can't afford it!"
A summer dress came up - "this is so beautiful, I want to share the beauty with you, " she told the audience. With the waist so small, the zip had burst and had to be sewed back on.
Born and educated in Estonia, she pursued her creative studies in London to become a sought-after vintage haute couture restorer, seamstress and designer. Vintage wove itself into her every waking moment when she got to know and collaborate with a leading London dealer.
To gasps of admiration from her listeners, Mirjam showed a succession of photos of dresses dating from the 1920s to the 1970s (the broadly accepted span for the term 'vintage clothing') on which she had advised and worked. It seemed little wonder that some people categorise such garments as 'wearable art.'
Firing numerous questions, everyone marvelled at the dresses which would be confined to museum cases but for skilful tailoring by Mirjam, who has repaired and fitted headline-grabbing outfits for stars gracing such jamborees as New York's Met Gala - for which tickets cost up to $25, 000 - and the Bafta Awards.
Mirjam said: "I have been very lucky to be able to work in my subject, which is vintage fashion and vintage haute couture dresses."
Financial information in the trade is cloaked in secrecy, partly because many of the robes change hands in private sales, but prices at auction have been soaring. In one sale for which details were released, the Vintage Couture auction in November 2012 at Christie's South Kensington, £567, 200 ($907, 520) was realised, with the most conspicuous lot an Elsa Schiaparelli black velvet evening jacket of 1938 which went for £73, 250.
The dresses that are referred to Mirjam for alteration are all unique. Some have been worn by famous people and that is known, sometimes she is unaware of the wearer provenance.
Mirjam showed a picture of a 1924 (Gabrielle Chanel) dress due for auction in the final days of June 2014 at an estimated price of £6, 000.
Another showpiece item was a 1930 creation of Cristóbal Balenciaga labelled Eisa (the name of his mother and of his first shop), with an extremely small waist of 48 cm, necessitating a special corset underneath. Among other touches, Mirjam had refurbished the buttonholes by hand.
A dress by Christian Dior from 1954 was next on the screen, followed by a 1960 specimen with the seams reworked by hand.
Mirjam's log continued with a design by Hubert de Givenchy, and a black velvet opera coat with white mink fur collar and white silk satin lining from the 1920s - "I really want it, but I can't afford it!"
A summer dress came up - "this is so beautiful, I want to share the beauty with you, " she told the audience. With the waist so small, the zip had burst and had to be sewed back on.