From Wardrobe to Gallery: The Story of 632 Wool Skirts

What does one do with 632 wool skirts? For most, such a collection might seem overwhelming, impossible even. For artist and weaver Mae Colburn, it became a question worth pursuing — not as a problem to solve, but as an open-ended invitation. Beginning with the task of cataloguing her grandmother’s extraordinary archive, she soon realised that the skirts were not simply garments but vessels of memory, resilience, and possibility. The result is Wool Skirts: An Exhibition of Legacy, Stewardship, and Transformation, opening 16 October at SUDESTADA Studio & Gallery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Audrey Huset with her Accordion during the 1930's. Photo Credit: Mae Colburn.

The story begins with Audrey Huset, Colburn’s grandmother, who quietly assembled this archive over four decades. From the 1960s onwards, she visited second-hand shops in St. Paul, Minnesota, searching for wool skirts of quality and beauty. By the time of her death in 2022, at the age of 99, she had gathered 632 pieces, many bearing the Woolmark logo — proof of wool’s lasting strength...

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Image Credits:

Lead Image: Wool Skirts Exhibition - Capsule Grid. Image: SUDESTADA