Ibicella Costume Designer

About the artist

Passionate about music and visual art, Amélie Groussolle aka Ibicella Costume Designer studied art at EESAB (Brest) and then returned to her first love: sewing. She continued her studies in fashion and became a seamstress and pattern maker for luxury houses (Chanel, Dior, Kenzo, Paco Rabanne).

Granddaughter of a seamstress and a blacksmith, she has craftsmanship in her veins.

With ideas in her head, in 2013 she started creating her first outfits for hair shows and themed shoots in collaboration with photographers, models, and make up artists. “Ibicella costume designer” starts to take shape.

It will take several years before the brands identity is defined and its artistic approach refined.

What does Ibicella mean?

From its full name “Ibicella Lutea” is a carnivorous plant.

“Ibicella” derives from the Latin “Ibex” meaning “ibex” and “Cella” meaning “part” alludes to its fruit resembling the shape of a hoof which also earned it the name “devil’s claw”.

The strangeness of this plant makes it unique.

A sort of dark chimera, a carnivorous monster in opposition to its vegetable form and its luminous yellow flower; the Ibicella represents balance through its oppositions.

These are all aspects that can be found in the creations of Ibicella Costume Designer: the paradox between elegance and horror, the dresses with fluid fabrics and the masks or headdresses more rigid.

Artwork Themes & Subject Matter

Passionate about the relationship between the body and the mind (conscious or unconscious), Ibicella Costume Designer is inspired by the metaphysical aspect and the origins of ailments and illnesses related to thoughts, emotions and feelings to create her costumes and accessories.

She is also inspired by nature for its textures (plants and strange animals), the imaginary art, the sculpture, the painting, the extreme music (more particularly the metal), the cinema of horror and anguish… but also very influenced by artists more particularly H.R Giger and his organic and alien biomechanic creatures as well as the great fashion designers such Jean Paul Gaultier, Schiaparelli, Alexander MC Queen, Thierry Mugler.

She is amazed by all these art forms that express originality in form and/or content.

Why the costumes?

The body is the envelope of the soul. For Ibicella Costume Designer, the costume does not only dress the body but also serves as an extension of the soul, looking for the shapes, colors and materials that best represent it.

Photography, cinema and theater are artistic media that tell stories and bring messages. The costume contributes to the story.

Ibicella Costume Designer started by creating characters for shoots and then worked on video clips.

It was while going to see metal concerts that she realized that a band with a strong visual symbolism in a video clip, an album cover and in its lyrics should also make an impression on stage with an adequate visual.

This is how she opened a door in the music world by proposing quality stage costumes (materials and design), able to adapt to the artist’s movements.

Press

Creations of Ibicella Costume Designer have been featured in Ghotesque Magazine and music videos including: “J’peux pas j’ai rodéo”, “We all saw it coming” and “The drowned and the saved”, “The Black” and “Parasite”.

Upcoming Exhibitions

CV

Education

2023 Special effects make-up artist certificate, Le Conservatoire Du Maquillage, Paris, France

2021 Dressmaker Certificate, FORMAMOD, Paris, France

2010 BEP Fashion Professions, Iycée Léonard DE VINCI, Nantes, France

2009 Certificate of study in visual arts, EESAB, Brest, France

2007 Bachelor Technical science and applied arts industry, lycée Jeanne Delanoue, Cholet, France

Selected Group Exhibitions

2023

10ème edition Le salon fantastique, Parc Floral, Paris, France