Faculty of Design

Material Art & Design

Sarah Kueper

“The Crystal Coffin” - The Brother

The brother costume includes a white linen vest and black cotton trousers. He wears grey and blue silk scarves to represent his connection to the sister costume. The light and dark contrasting garments also represent hope, in contrast to the sister’s dark funereal inspired clothing. Gathering on the bottom of the trousers and ties on the blouse emphasize the natural materials in this piece.

“This collection of four costumes tells the re-written story of the Brothers Grimm Fairytale “The Glass Coffin”. Costumes and clothing tell stories through visually representing an individual’s personality, history, and identity. My goal as an artist and maker is to create wearable art pieces that tell stories. My work is inspired by nature, fairytales, historical fashions, and fantastical worlds. These costumes reflect the importance of storytelling, as well as the empowerment of women in the fairytale genre, which I seek to emphasize through my work. The re-written story rejects gender stereotypes and shifts the focus to the value of friendship and family, the triumph of love over evil, and the empowerment of women. This collection is made with hand and machine sewing techniques, wet felting, acid dyes, leather and metal work. I chose to use natural materials such as cotton, linen, silk, wool, and leather to reflect the time period of the story which is set in the 18th century.The brother wears a white linen vest and black cotton trousers to reference the white stag he transformed into while he was cursed. He wears grey and blue silk scarves to represent his connection to his sister. The light and dark contrasting garments also represent hope, in contrast to the sister’s dark funereal inspired clothing. ”