Potsdam, Germany

SEVERAL years ago, some drawings stuck to a friend’s fridge caught my eye. They were of princesses in fantastical dresses, drawn by a 6- or 7-year-old boy she knew. It struck me how interesting it would be to actually make the dresses as he had drawn them — and in general, how interesting it would be to bring to life the clothes in children’s artwork, designs by children too young to be influenced by commercial fashion.

I finally got around to trying out the idea. I asked three girls to draw the outfits they imagined, and then I turned them into clothes. I tried to stay as true as I could to the drawings while still making them wearable.