Charles Freger (artist #3)

Charles Freger designs costumes out of natural materials that create mythical monsters turned into real life. His costume design harkens back to Pagan rituals, folklore monsters, Japanese demons, and even the military. His array of work really knows no bounds and is very expansive. His main inspiration in his wilder costume designs all stem from this primitivism yearning he describes. He says that his “Wilderman” series was his most expansive and the results were actually a fantastic series to continue and expand throughout the years. The costumes seem to mix a real sense of ethnography and fashion along in a very ritualistic manner. His self-proclaimed goal of the series to capture a sense of wildness in really small secluded villages among Europe. The look comes from their rituals and how those ancient roots affect their culture now. I feel like maybe that’s why the costumes look like they could’ve really existed in ancient Europe. The use of natural materials like wood, leather, and fur really drive in the fact that they look like primitive costumes. They really remind me of Shamanic dress from certain tribes of Native Americans. The way they breathe off this reverence really makes them feel so otherworldly.