Concept by Sebastian Schrader | Directed by Marin Blülle
Knitting for costumes by Theresa Kretsch.
For the stage production of Take Away the Alps, based on the award-winning novel by Ralph Tharayil, I created a range of custom-designed textiles that bring the poetic and layered world of the story to life. The piece explores a childhood in Switzerland through the voices of two siblings, blending themes of belonging, identity, and the strangeness within ourselves — a timeless coming-of-age tale rendered through language, movement, and material.
The textile work was developed in close collaboration with costume designer Sebastian Schrader. It included a curated selection of existing fabrics alongside newly produced knitwear, crafted specifically to support the narrative and character development. The knits were made using a Stoll flat knitting machine, while the masks were constructed on a circular knitting machine.
Materials ranged from vibrant viscose and soft wool to transparent monofilaments, each chosen to reflect and enhance the personality of a specific character in the piece. The result was a rich, tactile costume landscape — one that echoed the poetic tone of the performance and underlined the individuality of each role.
Pictures @yoshikokusano.