SEW WHAT: The Fitting Room as Playground
A fitting room is more than a place to try on clothes. It is a space where doubt, curiosity, and self-image come together. What do you put on? What do you leave behind? And what do those choices say about who you are?
Starting from this familiar situation, costume designer and theatre maker Sam Beddegenoodts created SEW WHAT, a new theatre production for young audiences aged 10 and up, produced by MoMu. The production emerged from an open call by MoMu and is a collaboration with hetpaleis.
Inspired by the fast-paced dynamics of social media and the fleeting nature of fashion trends, SEW WHAT invites young audiences to take a fresh look at the clothes they wear every day and at the influence of fashion and media on their self-image. Through a distinctly visual language, the costume takes centre stage.
How did the idea for SEW WHAT come about?
SAM BEDDEGENOODTS: "The idea actually came about during a doomscroll on TikTok. I noticed how quickly the algorithm started showing me more and more content centred around consumption. It made me think about how incredibly fast trends follow one another today. Through social media and microtrends, everything seems to be constantly changing. I found it interesting to explore the impact of that constant stream on young people who are trying to develop their own identity through clothing."
Why did you choose the fitting room as your starting point?
SB: "A fitting room is a very familiar place where much more happens than simply trying on clothes. It is a space where you make choices, doubt yourself, and look at yourself. That is precisely why I thought it would be an interesting place to begin the story. Everyone knows that feeling."
Rehearsal images, 2026 1/2
Rehearsal images, 2026 2/2
What role does clothing play in the search for identity?
SB: "For me, clothing has always been a way of discovering myself. That includes making the wrong choices and going through embarrassing phases, but that is precisely how you discover what really suits you. Today, that search has become much more complex. There is so much coming at young people that making choices is becoming increasingly difficult. Yet fashion remains, above all, a playground for me, a space to experiment."
What fascinates you about the relationship between fashion, self-image and social media?
SB: "I feel that fashion, self-image and social media are almost impossible to separate today. As soon as you talk about one, the other two quickly come into play. That interaction is what fascinates me. I am interested in how the constant stream of images and trends influences the way we see ourselves and the choices we make."
Why does costume take centre stage in the performance?
SB: "As a costume designer, I always start from images. For SEW WHAT, I wanted to avoid turning the performance into a list of terms such as microtrends or greenwashing. Instead, the costume tells the story in an accessible way. That way, young visitors without any prior knowledge can also be completely swept up in the performance."
What do you hope young audiences will take away from the performance?
SB: "I do not want to tell anyone that they should stop buying clothes. That is not the starting point. I mainly hope that young people will pause to think about the choices they make and learn to recognise trends for what they are: trends. Fashion is something to play with and a way to discover yourself, but it is also valuable to ask yourself from time to time why you actually like something, and for whom you are making that choice."
SEW WHAT will premiere at hetpaleis on 20 November 2026. Additional public performances will take place on 21 and 22 November, after which the production will go on tour. Buy your tickets for the performances at hetpaleis here.
SEW WHAT is a production by MoMu, co-produced with PerPodium and created in collaboration with hetpaleis. Special thanks to Stormkop and Man OverBoord. This production was made possible with the support of EventFlanders.