Briar Rose Bodice

I was inspired by the story of "Sleeping Beauty" by the Brothers Grimm. I really wanted this piece to be about the strength that lies in the protection of our loved ones and in feminine histories and skills. This fairytale has been told many different ways over the centuries, but with every version, there is an element of protective magic I started thinking about boned undergarments and how in a way they resemble armor and offer protection and support. It's a very beautiful type of sewing/protective magic. I started to imagine what a garment made by fairies to ward off evil and protect the young princess might look like. I wanted to make something that looked as if it had been stitched with protective magic. I used briars, rose thorns, and words that might draw in good and ward off bad in my decoration. I also loved the idea of mixing stylistic elements from several time periods to capture the timeless nature of the story, I combined elements of stays with later decoration and lacing techniques and ended up with something a little whimsical I chose to make the bodice front opening only for my own ease and to incorporate a nod to German styles, and as a reference to the Brothers Grim who popularized her story. I choose to make the body pink because I once heard it's actually a color that makes you sleepy and so many iterations of Sleeping Beauty's name have to do with pink, Briar Rose, Aurora, etc.