My name is Heather Luca, and I’m the woman behind the corsets. I am a 28 year old seamstress and fashion designer based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I didn’t always dream of creating clothing and fashion- once I was 100% sure that I was going to be a famous art photographer. I attended Saint Cloud State University and University of Minnesota for black and white photography. During my first semester at U of M, I became pregnant with my daughter, Kaia. I had to take a break from school to become a mother. During that time off from school, digital photography boomed. What once was a kitschy way to capture images was now cutting edge and surpassing traditional photography. The digital revolution came and went, and I was left out. I had to reinvent myself.

Preparing to get married to the father of my child, Adam, I designed and made my own wedding gown. I had learned to sew from my mom when I was much younger, and had dabbled in it since, but nothing of this magnitude. This was my very first real corset. It turned out amazing. I was the belle of the ball at my own wedding, and soon after, I started getting contacted about making more corsets, from friends and friends of friends. It snowballed into a full-time business, with over 300 custom corsets made.

I was pretty content to just make corsets, but Samantha Rei of Blasphemina’s Closet kept telling me that I could do more; that I could make more of myself. I branched out, with a lot of support and inspiration, and started creating full lines of clothing. It is amazing being able to draw upon the things I like, and turn them into amazing garments. Its even more amazing to be able to show them to other people. I thought for sure I’d be sick of making clothes by now, but I am still in love with fashion.

Every day I meet amazing people through this line of work. My clients are all wonderful, and I love being able to make corsets for even the most unique body shapes. I have met other designers, like Megan Bishop of Apatico, Miss Megan Maude of MeganMaude. I have had the opportunity to be involved in the Libertine Asylum Collective with talented people. I have gotten to work with photographers like Drayke Larson of Photosynthetique Imaging, makeup artists like Lucinda Connaker of Being Fab, and so many others. I look forward to creating so many more beautiful things in the future, so stick around and watch!

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Heather Luca has been a friend and colleague for several years. Her attention to detail and interaction with her clients are top notch. Heather is a very driven and enthusiastic designer who is constantly working to make her business fresh and beautiful. -Samantha Rei