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Kate Plumtree at work

Being a complete 'townie' and all round London type person, relocating to rural Oxfordshire in 2005 was a shock to the system, but in my new environment I was captivated by the abundance of incredible wildlife bursting out of trees, rivers, hedges, fields, skies and even in gardens, streets and on houses! I needed to learn about these creatures, and in so doing my research inspired me to design and create costumes that captured their essence.

After a busy panto season in 2007 I took a much needed holiday to somewhere HOT and packed my sketchbook, pencils, paints and research materials and just waited for a bit....then I was off! 'Worn to be Wild' just burst onto the pages in a flurry of fineliner sqiggles and splashes of colour - the creative process was full of excitement and energy, driven by my obsessions with both wildlife and the evolution of fashion.

The birds were first to be designed and made - alive with pattern and colour, they lent themselves so well to the medium of creative textiles and I was able to use all the creative processes that I enjoy such as dyeing, printing, stencilling, quilting, applique and silk painting, whilst indulging in cutting period shapes that captured the essence of each creature. My Elizabethan Grebe complete with a 'wheel farthingale' and ruff was a joy to make - especially dyeing and ripping antique lace to create a bedraggled waterlogged effect on the skirts!

The mammals focus much more on texture and sculptural form, they are more solid and heavy with much use of fabric manipulation techniques such as padding, pleating, gathering, fringing and heavy quilting. The Medieval Red Deer gown incorporates 10 metres of tie dyed cotton velvet which produces dappled effect on the fabric and the richly pleated dress with jewelled detail and double hanging sleeves creates a weight and majesty evocative of such a regal beast.

My models for the location photographs were amazing. They climbed trees, crouched by rivers, rolled around in woodland and endured sub zero misty morning temperatures to ensure that the essence of each creature was captured in it's natural environment. They never complained once - any of them! I am so grateful to you all - Amy, Charlotte, Dorothy, Sally, Issy, Emma, Jessica and Ioan....thank you! The photography made me realise how important it was for me to be behind the camera - I had a very specific vision for each costume and each person modelling it and although it was a new challenge for
me it was exciting and rewarding.

Mute Swan inspired dress by Kate Plumtree

I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to tour 'Worn to be Wild' around the UK at so many prestigious venues. Since launching at Banbury Museum in 2009, the exhibition has grown to a total of 17 costumes, headdresses, fabric sample boards, large scale location photography, step bey step construction portfolios and an extra rail of costumes for dressing up! It has toured continuously for 3 years, currently at the Museum of Somerset (its 12th venue) it moves to the National Trust's Mottisfont Abbey in July and is booked into more venues across the UK until November 2013.

The public reaction has been heartwarming and through my 'Worn to be Wild' workshops I have taught many of the techniques and processes involved in the making of the collection - it is a delight to share and inspire creativity in this way.

Worn to be Wild aims to inspire and educate through the beauty and diversity of nature, the evolution of fashion, the craft of costume making and the art of creative textiles

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