We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cécile Demers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Cécile thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I think like most creatives, I only started part-time, with a side job, before launching my entrepreneurship project full-time and profitably.

For me, I started by doing what I loved and for fun. Whether it was sewing, dancing or teaching, I did it out of passion and people asked for my services afterwards.

The biggest challenges for me were stability, the house and workshop moves followed one another over several years keeping my roots fragile for a long time. Maintaining paperwork remains a challenge. I have never had any subvention or any class on how to start a business. Everything was learned on the spot and this was clearly a minus.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Costume Designer, performer and teacher.

Very young, I was already that weird, sensitive and communicative child. With too much energy and creativity. Taking draperies and transforming them into dresses. Creating theatrical acts with friends, taking dance and piano lessons. I have always felt very connected to music, it’s mostly my very first inspiration and tool of motivation for any creation.

As a teenager I was a big fan of role playing, gaming, movies and continued to explore costuming by taking my first sewing class at 12 with my aunt Loulou. Eventually, friends around me loved the work I did for myself. As an alternative and plus size girl, I learned how to make my own clothing, perfectly fitted and unique. I began to take custom orders very fast and build a community of regular and niche clients for the larp, rave, goth and fetish scene. Doing mostly custom commissions, I was exploring a world of possibility in different sizes and styles each day for many years before reaching a point where I could say I am living off it.

At the age of 25, I was at 5 years of my business, I was already seeing a long path behind me, filled with many collections, fashion shows and clothing productions for many stores. I decided to go back to my first love, dance. It connected me to the world of stage costuming, pushing me to explore more mediums and techniques.
Metal bands, dancers, burlesque and circus performers became part of my niche.

3 years after getting back to dance, I founded 2 dance troupes, Symbiosis which is more of a student community and Royal T who’s a collective format. Along the way, I teach many classes and workshops, perform solo and with the troops in many events. Specializing in silk, LEDs and fire accessories manipulation, sometimes with improvisation, sometimes choreographed.

Eventually I began to create my own small events, showcasing the performers of the troop and from the local community. I always loved variety shows and it’s the principle recipe I use, always using different thematics.
Now I am half time making costumes and half time managing the performers and teaching costume creation and dance to share my heritage.
As time passes, I like to think that my ultimate mission will be to guide the next generation of artist, promote self-expression and culture.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

As time passes, I like to think that my ultimate mission will be to guide the next generation of artists, promote self-expression and culture.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I would particularly name the year 2018.
A year full of challenges. A move with my new partner, a lot of movement in the dance troupe and teaching, an endless accumulation of work, little rest and the loss of my mother. We review our life choices and their direction when we are immersed in adversity for a long time. Let’s say that this one really tested my resilience, my ability to slow down and take care of myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/Sis_Void
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sis_void/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SisVoid
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1jRSDcofbpbCQIWiUusLOw

Image Credits

1 – Luc Bussière
2 – Phil Latour
3 – Pixzabelle
4 – One Photography
5 – Marisa Parisella
6 – *
7 – Luxcraft Photography