MINI PROFILE
"Heya, my name is Regina Fox-Galassi, better known as “The Pirate’s Tailor” – an upcycling dressmaker and jeans artist.
"I started sewing when I was four years old – my doll urgently needed a wedding dress, and so turning my eyes to my grandmother’s curtains, I went to work cutting them up.
"Since I was growing up in the former Soviet Union we did not have much. So, I would borrow a sewing machine from my neighbours, a vintage Singer Machine with the foot pedal. Anything for my client, Barbie, whose dresses from then on were ALWAYS super fancy.
"I got my first sewing machine when I was a teenager. Usually I would fix my jeans as they would always be too short or I would make tiny skirts for the discotech (my mother was not very happy with that).
"We did not have money, so upcycling made the most sense. When I first took apart a pair of jeans I was fascinated by the structure of the material. I fell in love. I LOVE DENIM!
I would even in sleep in Denim, but this is a little uncomfortable!
"Of course, I buy fabric and making apparel from scratch, however upcycling is my favorite, even my wedding dress was made from white Levis jeans.
"Taking something used and transforming it is a beautiful art. My biggest inspiration comes from films. Especially pirate, adventure, and historical genres. I absolutely love costumes. It’s always Halloween in my house!
"I never had a formal education in sewing, and so I was self-taught. At some point I took private lessons with a fantastic tailor to learn how to properly use patterns. I did attend a fashion design school, but I left after four months as it was too much
