Corset expert awarded Order of Canada
July 26, 2007
Robert Doyle, of White Fox, has been awarded the Order of Canada after a career including ballet-dancing and writing about corsets and other costumes.
Mr Doyle began his career as a dancer at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company, the Nipawin Journal reports, but following a knee injury, he was forced to take a backstage seat.
Training as a stage designer, Mr Doyle worked at many of Canada's regional theatres, and really found his feet at the Manitoba Theatre Centre and the Neptune Theatre, where he was one of the original company members.
The corset expert also studied in England at the Wimbledon School of Fine Art, researching 18th century costume including military clothing, which was later reproduced at the 18th century Fortress Louisburg restoration in Cape Breton.
At Dalhousie and Regina Universities, he set up a training programme for costumers producing for the theatre, film and the fashion industry.
After retiring from lecturing, Mr Doyle has written a series of books on costume-making including Waisted Efforts, An Illustrated Guide to Corset Making, Laundry, The Whys and How's of Cleaning Clothes, and Art of the Tailor and Costuming the Dance.
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