Zörg drage
Costume design for Elisabeth Strouven commissioned by Fashionclash Maastricht.
Inspired by Elisabeth Strouven and the way she gave time and attention
to people in need, I have translated this way of caring -Zörg drage- (in
the Maastricht language) into textiles and clothing. In Elisabeth’s time, it
was people suffering from the plague who were neglected. In our time,
it is, among others, our attitude towards textile consumption that needs
attention.
The costume is made from second-hand cotton shirts, by giving them time and attention using meticulous embroidery and smocking
techniques, I aimed to revalue their worth. I wanted to create an ode to
Elisabeth Strouven by making her way of care tangible.
She wrote a book, something exceptional for a woman of her time, La
vie de la vénérable mère - The Life of the Venerable (respected) Mother. It got
me thinking about the respect towards textiles in our time and I decided
to highlight this word on an embroidered book to prompt the viewer to
question their own attitude towards textile use.
Thank you Fashionclash for this opportunity.