What I’m Working On — and What’s Inspiring Me This April
April has been full, in the best possible way. I can’t believe we are already at the end of the month. The sewing machine is humming, the sketchbook is filling up, and I’ve been feeding my creative spirit with some truly wonderful content in between. Here’s what’s on my table and what’s been keeping me motivated lately.
What I Just Finished: The Black Satin Bustier Corset
I’m thrilled to share that the black satin bustier corset is complete. This piece is one of those projects that reminds me why I do this work — the drama of black satin, the precision of the boning, the way a truly fitted corset changes a woman’s posture and presence the moment she puts it on.
What I’m Working On: A Straight Neckline Corset for a Very Special Concert
Right now I’m deep into a new corset project — a straight neckline design for my niece Eleanor, who is heading to an Ariana Grande concert this summer. The first muslin is finished and a fitting is coming up soon. Eleanor and I have been having so much fun creating a shared Pinterest board to exchange inspiration for the design — it’s such a lovely way to collaborate and get on the same page creatively before we even pick up a pin. There is something so joyful about making for someone you love, and I want this piece to be absolutely perfect for her. More updates to come as we move through fittings.
A New Client: Corset and Skirt for a Wedding
I’m also in the early stages of a lovely new commission — a corset and skirt ensemble for a client who will be wearing it to a wedding later this year. We’ve completed her measurements and I’m currently working through the design. It’s always exciting to be at this stage, when everything is still possibility and the vision is just beginning to take shape. I love this part of the process.
What I’m Watching: Cristóbal Balenciaga on Hulu
If you haven’t started the Hulu series Cristóbal Balenciaga, please do yourself a favor and watch it. I am completely absorbed. What moves me most is how the series honors the fact that Balenciaga was, first and foremost, a dressmaker. Before he became the revered haute couture atelier, before the international acclaim, he was someone who understood fabric and fit at the most intimate level. Many consider him the greatest dressmaker who ever lived — and watching this series, you understand why. For those of us who work with our hands and take construction seriously, it feels like a love letter to the craft. It’s inspiring in the deepest sense of that word. Enjoy the trailer!
What I’m Listening To: Grit, and the Power of Starting with Yourself
Two podcast conversations have really stayed with me this month.
The first is Mel Robbins’s episode with Dr. Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Dr. Duckworth’s research makes the case that what separates high achievers isn’t talent or intelligence — it’s grit: the combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals. As someone who has spent 20+ years in this industry, building something of my own from the ground up, that message hit home. Running a bespoke business is not a sprint. It is the very definition of a long game. I found myself nodding through the entire episode.
👉 Watch Mel Robbins with Dr. Angela Duckworth on YouTube here
The second is Oprah’s conversation with Emma Grede on The Oprah Podcast. Emma is the co-founder and CEO of Good American and a founding partner of SKIMS, and she’s just written her first book, Start with Yourself. In this interview she talks about radical self-accountability, the discipline behind her rise from East London to global business leader, and why women need to get comfortable putting ambition at the forefront. It’s honest, sharp, and genuinely energizing.
👉 Watch the Oprah × Emma Grede interview on YouTube here
Both of these conversations circle around something I think about a lot as a small business owner: that the work has to come from a genuine place, sustained over time, by people who care deeply about what they’re doing. That’s what I’m building here at Beth Lucas Design.
More to share soon as the corsets take shape and the fittings begin. Thank you, as always, for being here.
— Beth
