She creates trimmings, tassels, buttons and other small textile items for museums, costumiers, theatre, film, designers and private indivduals.

Although many of these small items are often overlooked, the correct period trim can ensure that a costume looks 'right' in a way that modern trimmings cannot.

Reconstructions are invaluable for today's museums; enabling a better understanding of costume generally and ensuring the public can visualise something otherwise damaged, tarnished or faded. They also allow a more hands-on approach whilst protecting the original.

Gina works closely with her clients, and in the case of historical trim, using original sources where ever possible and drawing on techniques known to have been in use at any given period. For more modern uses, she is happy to design something completely unique to enhance clothing or interiors.

She has also restored old items of passementerie - repairing damaged parts and creating replacements to match destroyed originals.

She particularly enjoys the challenge of trying to discover how something may have been made, and is continually discovering more about the narrow wares of the past.

Gina is a founder member of Soper Lane, a group begun in 1999 to research the lives and work of the medieval London silkwomen.

Her personal research focusses on the recreation and reconstruction of the passementerie techniques of the past, and has included most periods, from Anglo-Saxon brocade tablet weaving to Victorian dress passementerie. She has been involved in textile research projects with groups around the world.

She has provided reconstructions of narrow wares, passementerie and costume accessories for theatre, costumiers, museums and private individuals. She has also provided modern trimmings using tradional techniques for designers.

Her most recent book, Tak v Bowes Departed; A 15th Century Braiding Manual Examined, (co-written with Elizabeth Benns), studies an extant 15th century braiding manual and gives full modern instructions for how to make each of the braids included. She has also co-written 6 booklets on medieval narrow wares, as well as producing papers, essays and articles on other forms of passementerie. She can be available for talks and courses in various aspects of the craft.

A trained illustrator, she is a partner of a successful design agency in the Midlands.

Previous clients include:

Dover Castle
Luton Museum
Dombey Street Productions (Sweeney Todd, 2007)
The Globe Theatre
The Victoria & Albert Museum
The Tower Of London
Hampton Court Palace
Perth Museum and Art Gallery
The Royal Amouries, Leeds
Ninya Mikhaila Historical Costumier
Suzi Clarke
Gary Smedley
Harman Hay
Harriet Waterhouse
Prior Attire
Chimera Costumes