The interview will cover how the company staff did not believe it was for Madonna at first, and how they made the corset to the sounds of Madonna and what it feels like to see a corset you have produced being worn by one of the most famous women in the world:

Welcome to madonnalicious Hilary, when did her assistant call you and what was the brief you were given and did they tell you exactly when the corset would be worn?
Early in January one of Madonna's assistants called looking for a corset. She said only that it was for Madonna, and did not say when or if it would be worn. Late in January she called to say that Madonna had worn our Lilly corset in her Sorry video and that Madonna wanted to wear it for the Grammys. (She did not say that it was for her entrance as an animated character with Gorillaz.) I asked how Madonna picked our Lilly for the video, they said that Madonna liked ours best out of the couture selection she had to choose from.

Did you liase with Arianne Phillips (her stylist) or another member of her team on the exact requirements for the corset?
I spoke only with an assistant on Madonna's team. The requirements for the corset: the assistant wasn't sure what she wanted but we looked through the products on our website and she decided on the Lilly corset in white satin, which they later ended up dyeing a fabulous shade of purple. They requested we customize our regular corset; Madonna preferred the opening in the front to be a specific length. So we altered our Lilly corset to her requirements. She needed it sent overnight.

Hilary with the Madonna corset in the workshop.

How did you feel when you realised you would be making a corset for Madonna which would be seen worldwide by millions of viewers during the Grammys and in her video (and now featured worldwide on her tour posters)?
The funny part of this story is that I did not believe that it was for Madonna. The whole first order was normal except that this new client was claiming it was for Madonna. She didn't ask for anything unusual; she just picked her style, ordered it and paid for it.

When the assistant called and said Madonna wanted to wear our corset to the Grammys, I took the order to make another Lilly this time in pre-dyed lavender silk satin. After the call, I put the phone down, paused and told my co-workers. 'If there were one person in the world that you would choose to wear our corset, who would it be?' I think nine out of ten people said Madonna.
She transcends any other performer who we've seen wearing corsets. Our company is used to making corsets and undergarments for renowned performers in the entertainment industry. Madonna wearing our work in front of the world is cause for celebration! I bought the 'Confessions' CD and took out all my old Madonna cassette tapes. We had a Madonna retrospective hour for a few weeks and the shop was sewing to the tune of Madonna.

Anticipating the Grammys on February 7th, we were unsure if and how she would wear our garment. The Grammys opened with the Gorillaz and Madonna. When she came up out of the stage and I saw our Lilly corset emerge from the darkness on Madonna, I took in a deep breath....I felt like I was at one of those early Beatles concerts where all the girls in the audience are screaming and crying. Except I was watching Madonna dancing in the corset we just made. She was just wearing our corset, jewels and a leotard; the curves of our Lilly corset balancing in harmony with Madonna's perfectly toned body.

Period Corsets® has been enjoying a wave of publicity after Madonna wore our corset. After the Grammy performance, websites picked up our press release. Madonna released the Sorry video which features our corset as one of her main looks and can be seen on many billboards. Our local NBC station called us for an interview, and W magazine called. Madonna seems to be everywhere in our corset; in magazines, talk shows, and on tour posters throughout the streets of New York City. I went to the east coast and her Confessions album was a listening choice on the flight!
It was an honor for Period Corsets® to be singled out by the discerning eye of Madonna, an icon of global fashion especially in the realm of corsetry.

How many people were involved in the production of the corset, and how long did it take to produce? Did you produce more than one corset?
It was a team effort. The project had a tight turnaround so everyone in the studio had their hand in one aspect or another of the construction. The bulk of the work involved the usual team consisting of the pattern maker, the cutter, stitchers, and the shopper. We made two corsets, one for the video and one for the Grammys.

Hilary with the Confessions Tour posters in New York City.

Have you produced anything for use on the Confessions Tour?
Not at this time.

You say you had fun making the corset, can you tell me why?
Having a Madonna corset on order was fun. It's not everyday you make a corset for the Grammys for an audience of millions. We had a short deadline which required pressing, prepping the fabric and sewing the garment then shipping it out the same day. It's always fun when everyone in the workroom works together for an exciting project. Madonna was flying in to LA for her fitting. It couldn't be late.

For anyone who desires to dress like Madonna (maybe during the Confessions Tour!) the Lilly corset is available to purchase online at www.periodcorsets.com