On brass

Hardware on a corset is not decoration. It is the anchor. A laced or buckled corset generates outward pressure every time it's worn. Light alloy buckles bend. Stamped grommets rip out of the leather. Neither lasts.

Everything I use is solid brass, cold-set by hand. Each rivet is hammered onto an anvil so the post deforms against the burr, a permanent mechanical lock. It can't be unscrewed. It won't pull free.

Brass also ages. Unlacquered, it darkens with time. The leather darkens with it. Oils, sunlight, wear. Eventually the hide and the hardware become the same color. They look like they belong together because they do.