Bridgerton’s secret weapon? The corset king behind fashion’s most breathtaking outfits...
YOU would think that corsets – and the art of making them – had been left behind in the 19th Century.
But the makers of bodice-ripping hit Bridgerton had undercover knowledge.
They sought out the skills of corsetier Mark erskine Pullin, also known as Mr Pearl, a secret weapon for celebrities when they want to look simply breathtaking.
Victoria Beckham was said to have asked for a ‘Scarlett o’Hara waist’ when she married David in 1999, and so wore a Mr Pearl bodice beneath her Vera Wang gown.
Kylie Minogue wore his corsets for her 2005 Showgirl tour and more recently he has worked with reality star Kim Kardashian.
Bridgerton’s costume designer ellen Mirojnick said there was ‘nobody in the world’ like Mr Pearl and his ‘magnificent’ work.
His bodices were designed to be similar to those worn in 1813, when the drama is set.
However, they were adapted to allow for ease of movement and instead of creating an hourglass, the focus of the engineering was on the bosom. Miss Mirojnick told
Page Six: ‘The shape of the corset just hugged underneath the bosom, shaping the cups and the shoulders so the bosom was without a question accented in the most beautiful way.’
Among the actresses to wear them were Phoebe Dynevor, who stars as Daphne Bridgerton. Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington, shared an image from the corset-fitting process on Twitter. The Irish actress wrote: ‘Wearing my custom corset made for #Bridgerton by the incredible artist and wonderful man, Mr Pearl. Having something made for you by the world’s foremost corsetier is very special.’
Despite her admiration, Miss Coughlan revealed it was still uncomfortable wearing one. ‘I don’t know if there are corsetry acting awards, but I would like one for doing a full jig in this,’ she joked. ‘Taking off a corset at the end of the day just feels incredible. It’s a bra times 10,000.’