Faculty of Design

Material Art & Design

Sarah Kueper

“The Crystal Coffin” - The Sister

The sister costume includes a black cotton chemise and 18th century inspired stay made of blue dupioni silk. Her leather and metal bracers reflect her role as a protector of people. The steel plates are hand cut and riveted to tooled and dyed leather. The stay and decorative sashes are made from royal blue dupioni silk with beaded details.

“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 sister wears a dark, funereal inspired chemise and 18th century inspired stay to reflect her death-like state. The black cotton chemise is designed to resemble a knight’s tabard to reflect her role as a warrior. Her leather and metal bracers also reflect her role as a protector of people. The steel plates are hand cut and riveted to tooled and dyed leather. The stay and decorative sashes are made from royal blue dupioni silk with beaded details which reflect her noble status. Even though she has experienced tragedy at the hands of the evil wizard, her clothing colours and silhouette represent her defiance and strength. ”