Please tell our readers where you are from and where you now work?
I was born on a farm near a little town called Macalister on the Darling Downs in Queensland, Australia. I now live and work in Bellevue Hill, Sydney where Kira (my French Bulldog) and I live in a little studio of only two rooms. In this studio I sew, play the harpsichord and koto, live, cook and be. Kira puts up with the many hours I spend on the sewing machine/harpsichord/koto etc).
How did you learn your craft?
Almost all of the things I have learned I discovered by having a go. Trial and error. Patience. And commitment to creating something. I never throw anything out that I have started working on if I think it is hideous. At some other time I cut it up and absorb it into a new creation. I love mistakes. I make mistakes infinitely and love the freedom a mistake creates. It frees up my thought patterns and makes the end product so much more interesting than I originally imagined.
Who do you design for (men, women)? Your beautiful creations look like costumes - are they meant to be? Or, is your couture for creative people for very special occasions?
I imagine the costumes/couture/creations/art (whatever they are called) would be worn by anyone/sex/thing. My intention is to have the observer create the label if they need one. I find that media like magazines, movies and other people pollute my mind and I try not to draw inspiration from these facades.
Do you sew all the garments yourself or have others create the work you design?
I am disciplined about one thing. My work must be thought of, envisioned, sewn, worn and photographed by me. Actually the worn part I am starting to become more flexible on. I believe there exists in the world no one original thought but I hope that my creations occupy some sense of originality.
Here is a picture of someone else being photographed (by me) in a couple of the garments. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed being able to style (even basically) the outfit better.
Go to Caleb Calabro to see more of his wearable art.
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