Why Mimiquins?

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Several years ago I took stock of my sewing situation. I owned three mannequins. One vintage, one professional (originally £800 but bought second hand) and one cheap adjustable. None of them really fit me. So after freaking out at the price of more realistically sculpted dress forms, I bit the bullet and bought two more adjustable mannequins hoping they would give me the range I required to sew for myself and others. 

I then had five mannequins. None of them fit me. Twiddle the dials as I might, I could technically achieve the correct bust/waist/hip dimensions but it never actually looked like a real person let alone a real "me", and it had no chance of replicating my long spine or sway back. Like the tea making drinks dispenser in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, even padding it out would result in a shape " almost, but not quite, entirely unlike" myself. 

Not one to let a creative challenge go un-tackled, I decided to make my own. I wanted it to be:

lightweight (no plaster)

sturdy (no fabric shells)

sustainably made (no memory foam or expanding foam)

user friendly (no duct tape gumming up pins and fabric)

and most of all accurate.

This sent me on a four year journey of discovery, learning about 3D scanning, 3D modelling and 2D plotting. Eventually I felt others would benefit from the progress I had made, so four years later here we are.

 Mimiquins are lifesize mannequins designed to precisely replicate your body for more accurate draping and pattern design.

First a 3D scan is taken of your body and replicated in lightweight layers of hollow core honeycomb sheets. This is then padded out and covered to look just like a traditional mannequin.

Each mimiquin is unique and hand made - by us in our studio, or at home by you with help every step of the way at every step to ensure

Mimiquins have been designed to be made using responsibly sourced materials and as few plastics as possible whilst maintaining a lightweight pinnable structure that holds its shape during use. Our central core is of paper fibre honeycomb sheets that are made from more than 80% recycled materials from carefully managed sources, and are 100% recyclable. Our padding is upholstery grade reclaimed wool fibres and the outer covers are a selection of natural linen, cotton and bamboo fibres.  With the exception of the metal clamps, each mimiquin has been designed to use as many natural and sustainable materials as possible and to minimise its impact on the planet. We are always working on improving and expanding our ecological credentials, please get in with any suggestions or concerns you may have.

Running a holiday sale or weekly special? Definitely promote it here to get customers excited about getting a sweet deal.

Have you opened a new location, redesigned your shop, or added a new product or service? Don't keep it to yourself, let folks know.

Customers have questions, you have answers. Display the most frequently asked questions, so everybody benefits.

What if I lose/gain weight
How much does a completed mimmiquin weigh?
What sizes do you do?

I'm on a diet but want to take advantage of your sale, can I pay now and book my scan for later?
what if I am working with corsetry
I am a designer working with multiple clients are you able to provide them in bulk
I don't live near you - when will you be hosting a scanning workshop near me?
What colours do the covers come in

I bought a DIY kit and I'm not sure where to start
I've damaged some of my layers, what do I do?

I make mimiquins because an accurate mannequin is an essential tool that can make designing and sewing beautiful garments significantly simpler and less stressful.


I have been extremely fortunate over the years to work with a great number of lovely clients, and six mannequins later I am yet to find a dressform that fits any of them. Four of those dressforms are adjustable and can be adjusted hundreds of ways to almost represent the human body - almost but not quite. Even when sewing for myself I've always found it tiresome to alter the dimensions and posture of mannequins that seemed to make no allowance for internal organs or indeed gravity.
When working in a London house of couture I had noticed that every client would have their own mannequin, made from an expensive commercial mannequin padded out to their specifications then stored on shelves in vast crowds of bodies. I later realised that other than the sample garments (UK size 6-8) every customer had a padded form because every body is different and the reason bespoke couture looks so good is because it is only m