College fashion might mean sweats for some, but one theatre major is bring couture to campus.

Senior Katharine Demke will present "The Fashion of a Fairy Queen" at 7:30 p.m. April 18 and 19 as a final part of the graduation requirements for her theatre major.

Although majors who focus on costuming normally design only one mainstage show, Demke is presenting this unique collection in addition to designing for the department's production of The Fantasticks last year and A Streetcar Named Desire this year.

"I wanted to do something that would challenge me," Demke said. "I designed a mainstage show as a junior, so I didn't feel like that was a challenge."

By creating her own production, Demke wove together the worlds of fashion design and costuming to create outfits for Titania, the fairy queen from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

"With costume, you're restricted by the director's vision," she said. "I wanted to use my own directing abilities and apply it differently."

The show contains six different looks, envisioning Titania first in her fantastical form, then in the context of the ancient Greeks, the 1920s, 1950s, a medieval maiden, and finally, modern couture.

The universality of Shakespeare drew Demke to the play because it allowed her to realistically consider how Titania would interact within different time periods, and because the character spoke to Demke personally.

"I just like her – she's sassy," Demke said. "She speaks to me."