If you’ve a budding photographer who’s ever wanted to try their hand at corsetry, you could follow in the steps of FairyGothMother’s very own Sam, who spent last weekend on a course with the very lovely Damien Lovegrove, picking up tips and techniques for photographing lingerie and eveningwear. Here are a couple of pictures from their shoot…

More photos from the shoot can be seen on Damien’s blog.

If you’re in London and love fashion, then this is your lucky week! Old Spitalfields Market (home of our lovely boutique and a trove of vintage shops, cocktail bars and market stalls) is hosting a week of catwalk shows, Swishing (a clothes swapping event which works on the basis that your trash will be another person’s treasure), an Alice in Wonderland themed party and lots more!

Red Hearts dress by Hell Bunny, at FairyGothMother

The schedule is as follows: Monday 10th (that’s tomorrow!): We’ll be showing off our new Lulu and Lush collection on the catwalk as well as all the latest additions to the FairyGothMother website and boutique from between 12 and 2pm, so if you work/study in the City, Shoreditch or the surrounding area, pop down to see us at lunchtime. You’ll also get to see the latest designs from our neighbours at Jigsaw, Dr Martens, Area 142 and Agnes B. The show itself is at 1.30pm, and we’ll be offering a 10% discount at the boutique all day! Wednesday 12th: Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, along with a vibrant fashion show, 12pm-2pm. Also on Wednesday 12th, ‘Swishing’ is back by popular demand - Old Spitalfields Market will be putting on a Swishing event, where ladies can drop off their unwanted garments, shoes and accessories in the morning and return later in the day to choose someone else’s.

Swishing is clothes shopping, but with a twist - in Britain, we throw away more than two million tonnes of clothes a year, so swapping your unwanted items for someone else’s not only helps the environment but means you can take home some fantastic loot, guilt-free. Sounds like a winner to me!

If you’d like to take part, you’ll need to bring along at least one item of clothing, a pair of shoes or some accessories which are in excellent condition, for which you’ll receive a stamp. You can do this at the market between 7.30am and 9am. Come back at lunchtime (1pm-2pm) to browse the collection, and return at 6pm to ’swish away’ to your little heart’s delight until the event closes at 6.30pm. Want to know more? The swishing.org website will tell you everything you need to know.

There will be catwalk shows every day from Monday 10th May to Friday 15th, details of which are available on the Old Spitalfields Market website. If you’re not sure how to find us, here’s our address and a handy map.

Hope to see you there! x

P.S. To make it easier to remember, click the link to add this event to your calendar.

The party season is now well and truly upon us, and here at the Lulu and Lush boutique we’re all fretting about what to wear to our Christmas party next week. Fortunately, the lovely Sam who is the elusive but genius mastermind behind FairyGothMother and the Lulu and Lush brand, has calmed our panic by ensuring that we have an enormous section of the shop brimming with fantastic party dresses. I mean, what else are Fairy Goth Mothers for?

Flocked Pencil Dresses As well as sequins and leather, we’re totally loving festive flocking this week. Give the classic LBD a twist with flocked black leopard print, or stand out in pink! The pink Sarah and black Zara pencil dresses show off every curve, whilst the halter ties emphasise the bust. The dresses are made of cotton which has a little stretch to it, but don’t worry - there’s a split at the back so you can still walk and sit down. Sculpt your silhouette under a tight dress with Kiss Me Deadly’s Vargas girdle, matched with Little Minx’s gathered tulle Bombshell bra which has rather useful multi-way straps, and cleavage-boosting padding.

Above left: Sarah pencil dress in pink flocked leopard, UK 8-16, £45; Nylon stockings, XS-XL, £11. Above right: Zara pencil dress in black flocked leopard, UK 8-16, £45.

Tulle Fairy Dresses for Every Budget Whether your budget is huge or you’d rather spend your pennies on celebrating, we have the perfect party dress for you. The huge netted petticoats show off tiny waists, whilst covering up the bum and thighs so you can eat as many mince pies as you like! At only £50, the black and red Nutcracker dress features black flocking on the tulle skirt, and a pretty corsage at the waist, whilst at the other end of the budget at £199, the Sparkle dress will instantly turn you into a Christmas fairy with its tulle petticoat and dazzling stars.

Above left: Nutcracker dress in black satin with red and black tulle and black flocking, UK S-L, £50; stockings as above. Above right: Sparkle dress in black tulle with sparkly star print, UK 10-16, £199; satin gloves, one size, £18.

Don’t Forget Accessories!

Of course, you’ll need those extra bits and pieces to finish off your outfit! There’s no point dressing up in a full-skirted prom dress if your coat won’t fit over it, so save yourself from freezing to death on your journey with our tailored frock coat. In black velvet with flock detailing, the coat nips in at the waist and flares out over even the fullest skirt. Match your accessories with your lingerie with our black tie-side satin knickers and satin opera gloves, and keep out the winter chill with our long-sleeved stretch shrug.

Above left: Frock coat in black velvet with flocked detail, UK 10-16, £99; gloves as above. Above centre: Cabaret tie-side knickers in black satin, S-XL, £15, available in a selection of colours; gloves as above. Above right: Black shrug in stretch fabric, S-L, £35; dress as above.

These are just a few of our favourite new frocks which are in stock - our entire collection can be viewed in our gallery, as well as a whole host of discounted frocks and gowns in our clearance sale. Although we try our hardest we haven’t managed to photograph everything we have in the shop, so if you’re after something specific please do get in touch and ask

Sequins and leather are massively hot right now - and if, like me, that’s what you wear all the time anyway, you’ll have been raiding all the high street shops to stock up on clothes and accessories to last you the next three years! The Lulu and Lush boutique is no exception - we’ve got a new, ubersparkly range of corsets which would give even the biggest disco ball a run for its money, as well as adding leather to our new collection of starter corsets, which provide a nice, easy introduction to the world of corsetry without breaking the bank.

Combining exquisite black silk dupion and sewn-on sequinned panels, these dazzling corsets will reduce your waist comfortably by about four inches. Hope on the animal print trend with our black and silver zebra corset, or emphasise your teeny tiny waist with the black version with red slimming, inward-curving panels. Whether you’re off to a burlesque night and team your corset with a tutu or matching silk dupion skirt for to a more formal party, you’re sure to be the centre of attention!

Above left: ‘Zebra’ silk and sequin corset, 20″-30″, £155; Lulu and Lush ‘Sally’ bustle, S-XL, £35; seamed tights, available directly from boutique, one size, £6.50. Above centre: ‘Bow’ silk and sequin corset, 20″-30″, £155; tulle skirt, UK 8-20, £150. Above right: ‘Curve Panel’ silk and sequin corset, 20-"-30″, £155; two-colour tutu, one size, £55; ruched opera gloves, one size, £18 (please specify ‘ruched’ when ordering).

Celebrate the rise of feminism (and hemlines!) in our 1920s flapper dress, covered in thousands of huge black sequins which dazzle and sparkle as you walk. And don’t forget underneath - no glitzy outfit could be complete without matching sequinned underwear! The ruched, white frilly knickers and bandeau bra of the Lola set are adorned with pearlescent sequins to catch the light, and the delicate chiffon Zepherine set by Mimi Holliday is starry with tiny black sequins and a sheer back.

Above left: ‘Sparkle’ dress, UK 8-16, £125. Above centre: ‘Lola’ ruched white bandeau set, S-XL, £35. Above right: ‘Curve Panel’ silk and sequin corset, 20″-30″, £155; ‘Zepherine’ black sequin bra and brief set, 32B-36DD/S-XL, £47/£36.

Hourglass silhouettes are beautiful on everyone, and if you’ve always fancied a teeny waist and curvy hips and bust but weren’t sure where to begin, the Lulu and Lush starter corset range is for you! If 4″ seems a little daunting at first, ease yourself into the world of corsetry with a gentle waist reduction of 2-3″, nipping you in without squeezing you too tightly. The quickest way to turn a work outfit into eveningwear is with our corset belt - at only 7″ deep, it’s perfect to keep in your handbag for cinching emergencies! Our starter corsets are all steel-boned, but are lighter than our standard corsets and also much cheaper so without having to spend too much, you can see why here at FairyGothMother we’ve become so addicted to corsetry

Above left: Lulu and Lush starter underbust in leather, 20″-32″, £110; black stretch satin pencil skirt, UK 8-20, £99. Above centre: starter overbust, 20″-30″, £125; skirt as before. Above right: Leather corset belt (pictured in red satin), 18″-28″, £140; skirt as before.

Of course, all our most popular styles are also available in soft black leather. Pictured here in purple taffeta, Revanche de la femme’s overbust is one of our best-selling styles, flattering on almost any shape and suitable for up to a D cup. A similar cut for larger cups is also available, as is a plunge style for the super-daring!

Above left: leather overbust corset (pictured in taffeta), 18″-40″, £395. Above centre: leather overbust for larger cups, 18″-40″, £395; black satin opera gloves, one size, £18. Fishnet hold-ups available directly from boutique. Above right: leather plunge corset, 18″-40″, £395; black frilly knickers, S-XL, £14; suspender clips, one size, £1.25 each; seamed nylon stockings, XS-XL, £11.

If you have a particular corset style in mind and sequins or leather aren’t options shown on our website, please email or call us as we are sometimes able to take special orders, or even design bespoke corset just for you. Don’t be shy - we love hearing from our customers and working with you to create the perfect outfit for your special occasion

I know, I know - Hallowe’en has only just happened and everything’s still covered in fake blood, but Christmas decorations have already gone up in shops around the country, the streets are illuminated with dazzling Santas and you can’t find anything useful in Tesco as all the food seems to have been replaced with mince pies and Christmas crackers. So I apologise in advance for encouraging this trend of starting Christmas whilst it’s still warm outside - but as you know, although our Spitalfields boutique is brimming with beautiful corsets and lingerie, much as we’d like to, we can’t keep everything in stock. So if you’re after a Christmas gift for yourself or your loved one, or a ballgown for New Year’s Eve, now is the time to make your decision and get in there before it’s too late!

L-R: Buskless overbust with ribbon lace front, corset size 18″-32″, £250. Matching blue satin skirt with ivory satin lining, UK 8-20, £295. Cut-out pinstripe overbust corset, 18″-30″, £335. Fit and flare satin skirt, UK 8-16, £145.

It’s always really difficult to pick the perfect ballgown, so whether you’re after something classic or want to go full-on Snow Queen, we’ve put together a few ideas to get you started. We’re really liking buskless corsets and colours reflecting the icy weather we’re expecting, so here are our favourite new ballgowns, perfect for winter. Brand new from Eternal Spirits is the sophisticated Audrey satin corset, in navy which according to October’s issue of In Style magazine, is the new black. Steel-boned, of course, the corset laces up at the back with navy ribbon, with decorative lacing over a chiffon panel. Available with matching navy satin trained skirt, both items in the set are lined with soft ivory satin, so this outfit will feel amazing on your skin as well as looking fantastic on. A twist on the classic plunge corset, the cut-out pinstripe Delilah overbust also by Eternal Spirits will really get you noticed, especially worn with this fit and flare black satin skirt by Voller’s Corsets, cut to really show off the curves of your hips and your cinched waist.

L-R: Buskless overbust with lace appliqué and Swarovski crystals, corset size 18″-32″, £495. Full trained pure silk skirt in ivory, UK 8-18, £350. Florence corset and skirt, UK 8-24, £445 and £295, or £695 for complete outfit.

The white lace appliqué with twinkling clear and black Swarovski crystals over black satin make the Bettie corset by Eternal Spirits irresistable, especially when teamed with Voller’s Corsets’ full trained ivory skirt in pure silk. Buskless corsets have their advantages and disadvantages - on one hand, it’s easier to make matching buskless corsets and skirts look like they’re a one-piece dress and it’s easier to match them with different coloured jewellery if the silver busk isn’t visible, but on the other hand you either have to have really long laces at the back so you can slip it over your head or re-lace yourself entirely every time you wear it. Revanche de la femme’s buskless corset bustiers with their concealed heavy-duty zips are a great way to get the look without having to make the effort - pictured here in electric blue silk taffeta, they’re available in hundreds of different colours and styles, with or without matching skirts.

Most of our items take between six and eight weeks, from the time you place your order to the time it arrives, as each item is made especially for you. With the current postal strike and the annual Christmas rush, we advise that you place your orders as soon as you can, so we can ensure you won’t be disappointed! If you need your outfit for a specific date, drop us a line and we’ll be able to let you know if we can rush it through for you, as we have a large selection of corsets and skirts in stock so if you’re lucky and we have your size, we can send it to you straight away