Cat Woman

Ertha Kitt played the role of Catwoman in ‘Batman’ in the mid-60s; this agile female beauty would purr her words, outwit Batman and Robin with her villainy and dressed in a black all-in-one catsuit. Why do I mention this? Because there was a particular episode in which Catwoman had planned to acquire couture garments from an atelier as they only designed one-of-a-kind garments. I came across this particular episode on YouTube whilst doing my research. Talk about synchronicity!

I didn’t realise how popular animal print fabrics were until I started to delve deeper for design ideas best suited to this beautifully soft fabric. Based on my female character this top had to represent beauty and glamour, and I also wanted to add a bit of theatre into the mix. Let’s face it, there is no subtlety with our feline friends. With this in mind, some element of the design would have to be exaggerated, which is how the extravagant sleeves, made in a Kimono-style overlay, came into being. I wanted to bring to life majestic-prowess – the look of quality and luxury that you want to reach out and touch. On a practical level, I wanted the benefit to be that you can wear this top instead of a jacket or coat, so that she can be shown off and seen, as well as providing warmth to your upper arms.

The round neckline with a shirred collar appeals to those who like a décolleté, thus showing off their face. The drape of the CatWoman top is supported with a fine mesh lining, providing structure which retains its shape when worn.

Whilst making this luxurious top, I had visions of her being worn for dining out, travelling City Breaks, with skinny jeans or leather pants, then I had visions of her worn with a pencil skirt accompanied with a clutch bag. She would look fabulous at a racing event, especially those sleeves. CatWoman is made to be a head-turner. She doesn’t apologise for being bold, powerful and strong, she takes ownership of those qualities, and wears them with pride! The only-one-of-a-kind.

Fabric: Mixed wool fibres, mohair and acrylic.
Size: 10/12
Loving care: Dry clean
Handmade in London, UK