“I love the sound of the word, Decadent,” designer Olga Lipnitski tells me over coffee when asked why she used that word to name her company.

Olga was born in Ukraine, and lived for many years in South Africa with her family. Since there was little-to-no gothic style clothing available, she began to create her own outfits for herself, and then later for friends to wear for a night out on the town. She is a self-taught clothier and researched historical fashion at the library. “There was a fair amount of trial and error,” she notes, but the quality workmanship is apparent in her clothing. Due to the high crime rates and stress of living in South Africa, she moved to Canada and has been based in Toronto for about five years.

The Decadent Designs look is very sleek and elegant. “I’m not into big, puffy clothes, I like a very stream-lined look,” she tells us, as I note there are a lot of mermaid-tail type skirts in her catalogue. Her inspiration comes from a variety of sources: from Victoriana to post-apocalyptic glamour. Olga’s designs have a very modern feel and are beautifully executed in fabrics like PVC and crushed taffeta.

Orders can be placed at decadentdesigns.ca. Custom sizing is available for no additional charge.