Vancouver, BC, Canada: Dita von Teese, the queen of burlesque, adores her exclusive creations…. Cathie Jung, the Guinness World Record holder for the smallest waist, flies in to be fitted by her… Little wonder that the Tyra Banks Show recently invited Canadian Melanie Talkington to talk about her meteoric rise as one of fashion’s leading corsetières.

With burlesque successfully crossing from fetish to mainstream and corsets becoming de rigueur, the world has gravitated to Ms. Talkington’s business, Lace Embrace Atelier.

Her reputation as a corsetière developed through focusing her education on the art of corset making and reviving the lost art of foundation garments. Ten years later myriad people covet Talkington’s designs – often direct inspirations drawn from her antique corset collection, one of the largest in North America.
Much revered pin-up model and fashionista, Dita von Teese, chooses Talkington’s custom design corsets for her stage performances and M.A.C. makeup campaigns. Talkington also designs exclusively for Cathie Jung, whose waist is an astounding 15 inches. In October 2006, Talkington and Jung were featured on the acclaimed Tyra Banks Show, part of the generous international exposure on television, radio, and printed publications for business, lifestyles, arts and documentaries regularly enjoyed by Lace Embrace Atelier.

Constructed in the finest silks, cottons and leather, embellished with the customary lace, ribbons and flossing (embroidery), Talkington’s creations are often featured in films. Recent work showcasing her corsets include the upcoming movie, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2008), as well as the popular North American television series the L Word, and many more television and movie productions internationally.
Ms. Talkington was recently invited to join a trade mission to Argentina resulting in a contract to import some of her classic designs made in Buenos Aires. An invitation to visit the Shanghai fashion trade fairs will result in further imports of lingerie and textiles from Asia to North America. In February 2007, Talkington travelled to Europe to exhibit at the Igedo CPD show in Germany, exposing Lace Embrace Atelier to an ever-increasing global market.
Lace Embrace Atelier features an excellent reputation and solidly established online retail store, the product range is also found at select retail locations in North America, Europe and Australia. In 2008 Talkington opened her first retail store in Vancouver, BC, Canada, with plans to expand in the future.

A fashion design graduate, Melanie Talkington first gained experience in the industry as a production manager, designer, buyer and sourcing agent. Melanie’s fascination with country & western icon Dolly Parton inspired her early interest in corsets and corset making. She amassed a vast collection of rare texts on antique corsets and construction, founding Lace Embrace Atelier in 1997.