Profiles

Nottingham based Eternal Spirits was born in 2002, the brainchild of Susi Henson who'd just completed a 1st Class BA Hons degree in Fashion Design and a Masters Degree in Fashion and Textiles at Nottingham Trent University.

Susi Henson - the woman behind Eternal Spirits

Granny knows best

But Susi's clothing roots go back much further. Indeed, she became obsessed with fashion and dressing up as a two year old. Her main influence was her grandmother.

Susi says grandmother Winnie remained living in the 40s up until her death in the 1990s.

Winnie was "glamorous to a fault every day" and inspired her granddaughter who gave the past a sexy modern twist when she formed Eternal Spirits.

Home produced

Susi began designing corsets and lingerie and today they're sold in 50 boutiques around the world. Showbiz personalities like Courtney Love, Leona Lewis, The Scissor Sisters and the queen of burlesque Dita Von Teese, have all been dressed by the fashion designer.

While the clothing might have found its way to downtown Los Angeles its roots are very much in Nottingham.

Susi says everything is created in the city, produced by her skilled in-house team. Such is her growing reputation that she's being described in fashion industry circles as the next biggest designer to emerge from Nottingham since Paul Smith.

But she admits it's not easy keeping the whole operation local.

"It's very hard to find the skills in Nottingham because it's a dying industry."

Part of the Eternal Spirits collection

Working with the stars

Corsets are no longer hidden. In the modern fashion world they're being worn as outer garments.

Pop stars like Britney Spears and Girls Aloud have already been helped out by Susi.

"[For Britney's Circus tour] we had to do straitjackets and Victorian asylum pieces for some of the dancers. It was quite interesting. We did about eight pieces.

"The Girls Aloud stuff was great. We did full outfits - corsets and skirts - and everything had to have fringing hand sewn onto it."

But Susi didn't see the outfits in all their glory, declining an invitation to go to a concert.

"They're not my cup of tea," she says.

The celebrity market does have its benefits, however.

"It builds confidence, especially in overseas markets. It's nice for our customers as well."

Bid to be World Design Capital

Nottingham bid to become the World Design Capital in 2012. The city council, the Arts Council and Nottingham Trent University are behind the application to the International Design Alliance (IDA). Susi supported the application along with Nottingham-born designer Paul Smith.

You can hear more 'design heroes' every Tuesday with Frances Finn, 09:00 to 12:00 on BBC Radio Nottingham (95.5 & 103.8FM, DAB and online).