Martha Ketcher

The concept behind Mad Dogs and Englishmen was initially inspired by the idea of wearable shelters, and people’s haphazard approaches to very basic forms of shelter such as how they protect themselves from the elements like sun, wind or rain using inside out umbrellas, newspapers, bags or towels as makeshift shelters. I drew on personal research, looking outside fashion to the everyday, using vintage and contemporary photography to inspire. My design references drew from stripy beach umbrellas, wind breaks, tents, sun canopies and sheets blowing in the breeze on a beach in Spain. I noticed contrast between the lightweight, billowy volume created by boned tents and sheets, compared to the tight sleeves or ties pulled over beach umbrellas or bunkered down tents. This idea of tension then became a vital design feature, as I drew similarities between the beach silhouettes and 1980s club wear, from the likes of BodyMap and Leigh Bowery’s avant-garde costumes. From here, I started recreating these protective shapes by using boning in unconventional methods, as if I were actually constructing vast, wearable beach umbrellas or parachutes. I then drew on Bodymap’s clubwear and stripy beach towels and windbreaks, to create fine, stripy, bodyfit, knit pieces to trap lightweight, billowing shapes underneath. Various techniques to create different stripe styles are used throughout the collection such as stripy knit, printed stripes onto nylon and rows of cord zig zag stitched together, all showing stripes in different ways and proportions. The use of frills, gathering and shirring are also featured heavily in the six looks, drawing reference from the tension created from tied beach umbrellas and BodyMap’s frilly jersey hotpants. The collection is based on wearable shelters and basic forms of protection, but dressed up in a light, beach inspired, summery, playful manner.

I hope to convey social notions of protection, wearable, portable shelter and insular living through my work. My inspiration began by looking into 1970s Japanese architecture, also known as metabolism. This included ‘pod’ living, and I became fascinated by the idea of insular living, and began looking at childhood and how children build forts and dens for shelter. Developing on from this, I began researching wearable shelters and how one’s garments could be used as both fashion and function. I feel this concept is more relevant than ever in an age of portability and mobility, where everything is instant and nobody stays in one place anymore. Nothing is long term, everyone rents and no one buys, people hold down multiple jobs and we’re always on the go. I think fashion needs to progress with this new society, so I created a collection that accommodates this, by wearing lightweight, fun, yet protective clothing that can also be used as shelter.

I explore environmental issues in my work by looking into the rise of global warming and freak weather conditions. I therefore, created a collection that could adapt to various conditions like extreme sun or wind, and also be worn all year round, rather than seasonal fashion.