Created on commission for the Summerdream Festival Steinfort, the Colour Magicians (d'Faarfmagiker) costumes are worn by young adult facilitators who guide children through imaginative, hands-on activity workshops, serving as playful, magical characters that welcome families into a world of creativity and discovery.
The costumes are inspired by a former industrial site in western Luxembourg, where abandoned railway tracks remain in place as nature slowly reclaims the landscape. The site is now a public park hosting a family friendly summer festival each year. Wild grasses, flowers and young trees weave between the rails, while colourful art installations—made from bicycle wheels and woven strips of upcycled fabric—bring new life and playfulness to the site.
This dialogue between industry, nature and creativity is reflected throughout the costumes. Hand-dyed fabrics in soft ombré shades of fiery reds, oranges and yellows evoke summer sunsets, while deep blues reference open skies. Patchworked upcycled denim speaks to repair, transformation and the site's industrial history, creating rich textures that feel both familiar and joyful.
A discarded pinstriped suit jacket has been carefully resized, with its altered seams causing the pinstripes to intersect like crossing railway lines—a subtle reminder of the site's railway heritage. Embroidered details made from discarded plastics, beads and reclaimed materials add shimmering layers of colour and surprise, echoing the vibrant installations scattered throughout the landscape as well as the joy of creating something beautiful and new from something initially discarded.
Designed to delight young children, the costumes balance handcrafted detail with movement and play. They are whimsical, colourful and inviting, embodying the magic of summer festivals while celebrating the beauty that emerges when forgotten places are transformed through imagination, reuse and creativity.
