Completely new and utterly romantic. A high tea, a visit to the Borromean Islands — and we sew a Dior-style corset in my palazzo in Arona, guided by a guest teacher who is a true expert in corsetry.
Reserve your placeThis retreat is built around one of the most romantic and technically demanding garments in fashion: the corset. Over five days on Lake Maggiore, you will move from inspiration to finished piece — learning the structure, the craft, and the couture methods that make a corset truly last.
Back in the palazzo in Arona, you will be hosted by me and guided by guest teacher Inés Perpiña, who is a true expert in the art of corsetry, you will construct a Dior-inspired corset from start to finish — a garment that is both a wearable top and a structural foundation for dresses and other pieces. Small group. Individual attention. Time to really learn.
Palazzo in Arona · Lake Maggiore
The atelier · Arona
Expert corsetmaker. Couture lingerie designer. Ice skating costume specialist.
I've met Inés in my first kimono sewing class in Tokyo where we shared our love for japan and kimonos.
I found out, Inés Perpiña is a true expert in the art of corsetry — a craft she has spent her career mastering across some of the most demanding and glamorous corners of the fashion world.
She ran her own lingerie boutique in Barcelona, where every piece was couture-sewn by her own hands. Her work took her from intimate lingerie into the international world of ice skating costume design — where precision construction, structural boning, and movement are everything.
On this retreat, Inés will guide you through every step: pattern, structure, boning, and finish. You are in the best possible hands.
The corset you sew on this retreat is a garment with two lives — wear it as a beautifully finished top, or use it to build structure and shape into a dress or other project. Guided by an expert in the craft of corsetry.
The photo gives you a sense of what we will make: a shaped, boned bodice with the quiet authority of couture. Beautifully constructed. Wearable. And entirely made by you.
Whether you choose to wear it alone or use it as the inner architecture of a larger garment, this corset will teach you something essential about how clothes truly hold their shape.
| Date | Availability | Status |
|---|---|---|
| June 7–11, 2027 · Monday–Friday | Open · max 14 | 2027 |
Daily hours: 09:30–17:00 · Wednesday 9 June: visit to Isola Bella with lunch in the gardens
Not included
Airfare · Travel insurance
The workshop takes place in my home in Arona — a historic palazzo in this small lakeside town on Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy. During the retreat we also make a day trip to Isola Bella, one of the Borromean Islands in the middle of the lake, with its own palazzo and gardens.
The atelier is inside my home (a palazzo itself) is a spacious, light-filled room with large windows that look directly onto the Rocca Borromeo, the lustrous green rock that rises beside the house. The palazzo was historically owned by the famous Borromean family, one of the great noble families of Northern Italy and the same family behind the Borromean Islands. Sewing here feels like it carries a certain weight of history.
The atelier · Palazzo Borromeo · Arona
The nearest airport is Milan Malpensa, about 45 minutes away. We will share more details about how to get there once your place is confirmed.
This is a small and personal retreat with a maximum of 14 participants.
This retreat is designed for sewists with intermediate experience — you are comfortable with a sewing machine, you have made garments before, and you are ready to learn something genuinely new and technically interesting.
No prior corsetry experience is needed. Our guest teacher will guide you through every step of the construction process, from cutting and boning to finishing. You will leave with both the garment and the knowledge to use these techniques again.
A good fit if you
With over 25 years of experience as a couture dressmaker, Maaike has worked alongside renowned designers, in the theater with prima ballerina Igoné de Jongh, and with the United Ukrainian Ballet. She founded The Dressmakers Academy in 2019.
Her philosophy is simple: if she loves it, she brings it to her students. The French Jacket Retreat, the Kimono Sewing Retreat in Japan, the Max Mara Coat Retreat — each one born from a personal passion, offered so others can share in the experience.
The Dior Inspired Corset Retreat is her newest creation. Are you ready to join her in Arona?
My palazzo in Arona. The Borromean Islands. And a corset sewn by your own hands.
You are free to cancel within 14 days of booking for a full refund, unless the retreat begins within that period or unless otherwise stated at the time of booking.
After that, the following applies:
Please note