About
Love vintage fashion and glamour? Need a regular dose of sassy pinups, sewing, and DIY costume design? Swoon over travel and recipe ideas? Guess what, me too! Welcome to The Freelance Muse!
Growing up as a wild, barefoot child in Canada’s Maritimes with hippie parents, I never thought I’d become Florida’s “Million Dollar Redhead” … My wild and crazy burlesque journey has put more than a few notches on my belt! Mostly notably, I …
- Accidentally revived Winnipeg, Canada’s classic burlesque scene, earning the title “Winnipeg’s Burlesque Queen!”
- Performed on Canada’s Got Talent, where judge Martin Short stated “You do this artform brilliantly!”
- Worked with the Miami Design Preservation League to produce a vintage fashion show for Art Deco Weekend, with an emphasis on supporting local talent.
- Help women discover their confidence and alter egos, inspiring and motivating them with my empowering workshops!
- Working creatively with businesses that require my unique skills as an entertainer and model!
And a fair bit more … But you’ll have to ask!
The heart of this blog is a vintage one… and the journey began back in 2013, when I was blogging about my adventures as a burlesque artist. With time and polishing the concept has developed into something even more fabulous!
A Bit Of My Backstory …
Living off the land with hippie parents in Cape Breton Island, Canada, life wasn’t always easy. Being a creative misfit who often couldn’t afford nice clothes, I followed my own unique fashion and artistic pursuits. Developing my own personal style and finding adventures along the way made me realize that being a misfit could be a superpower!
Even though I was obsessed with Fashion TV as a teen, sketching out fantasy wardrobes and thrifting, it never occurred to me that I could make my own fashions … If only I picked up a sewing machine back then!
Leaving home to pursue a career in acting and continue studying theater at 18, I landed in merry olde England. Working there as a nanny (and failing miserably at getting any auditions), I discovered my calling in many of the clubs and venues I was exploring… Burlesque!
Things Start Happening …
Shortly after moving back to Canada, in Winnipeg, I took the plunge into burlesque. No one else was doing it there at the time, and I was certainly feeling my way alone through the dark at the beginning.
I began commissioning local designers to create my burlesque and pinup attire, even hiring celebrated high fashion Canadian mainstay Lennard Taylor (before he was Lennard Taylor) to make a fun retro swimsuit! As well as hiring his mentor, a tailoring genius, Alex Espinosa to create a stunning couture style burlesque costume. My support for local designers and my staunch beliefs in creating sustainable fashion landed me a spot on the board of the Winnipeg Fashion Incubator.
However, the tides continued to turn, as they do, and I found myself in love and in Miami, Florida. During the time I was becoming a permanent resident of the USA, I was inspired by the talented local burlesque performers to learn how to sew my own sexy and fabulous costumes/wardrobe! I still have a long way to go, but if you’re walking the same DIY fashion path (or even thinking about starting it), I’d like to invite you to join me … Let’s learn and grow together!
Hey darlings, thanks for sticking around! There’s gonna be a lot more fun, sexy photos, and tutorials around the corner … Follow me on Instagram or Facebook if you don’t wanna miss out! Let’s stay in touch!
Xoxox,
Angela La Muse
@AngelaLaMuse