Claire Linaker

My name is Claire Linaker and I have been passionate about design and art for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a town called Bunbury and moved to the Perth city for university, art had always been my main passion but after my nanna bought me a kiddy sewing machine when I was in early high school I never stopped wanting to make clothes. I studied fashion design at curtin university and only just graduated this year, throughout my degree I had always planned to become a dress maker as I had a love for fantasy ball gowns, although in 2024 I had my first crack at leather craft after being challenged to make a snakeskin wallet for my partner. My grandparents were leather crafters and owned their own shop when they were alive, after my nanna passed she left me many of her tools and some materials such as old snake skins. I never thought I'd be interested in using leather but once I started using the material I realised how versatile and sustainable it really is, using leather is more like sculpture and woodwork all mixed with fashion. Since then I have gone from making wallets to bags and accessories and now to leather corsets for my graduate collection, all things that I hope will last forever, as my design concept is built around durability and keeping clothing as something that is eternal and can be passed down through generations. Now that I am graduated I plan to keep working towards my own sustainable business, I dream to work in costume design for fantasy television and for ordinary people who are passionate about leather pieces and historically inspired clothing, creating made-to-order pieces that are extremely personal to those who buy them.