Faculty of Design

Material Art & Design

Sarah Kueper

“The Crystal Coffin” - The Tailoress

The tailoress costume is a dramatically ruffled chemise made in black and white cotton. Channels on the interior of the chemise allow the garment to be gathered up and down, changing the length of the hem and sleeves. The drawstring gathers are utilitarian in design. The tailoress can hike up her skirt and sleeves to allow her to work more easily. The long ribbons at the bottom of the skirt also allow her to bring the skirt up like an apron to collect dye materials or allow more freedom of movement.

“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 tailoress wears a dramatically ruffled white cotton chemise to reflect her occupation as a seamstress. The white colour represents her innocence while also reflecting her lower-class status. She cannot afford dyes or expensive fabrics; however, she is a skilled seamstress and shows this through her stylized ruffles and gathers. The drawstring gathers are utilitarian in design. She can hike up her skirt and sleeves to allow her to work more easily. The long ribbons at the bottom of the skirt also allow her to bring the skirt up like an apron to collect dye materials or allow more freedom of movement.”