DRAPED ARMOUR: PROTECTION IN NATURAL MATERIALS
Category: Apparel
Competitions: Fashion Competition 2026
I am Daisy Kennedy, an inquisitive and passionate individual who graduated in womenswear from the London College of Fashion, UAL, in July 2025. I always put the environment and ethical matters at the heart of my practice, exploring materials and processes that will help protect our planet. The ability to innovate and empower people through clothing really excites me. Living by the seaside in Broadstairs, Kent, I am fortunate to experience the beauty and purity of our natural surroundings every day. My project 'Draped Armour: Protection in Natural Materials' aims to celebrate these materials that us like-minded designers treasure so deeply. My research explores how natural materials have saved the lives of people and protected the human body in real-life events. I studied present day stories of how a man who fell overboard at sea used his jeans as a makeshift life jacket by inflating and knotting them. Also, a leather jacket saved a motorcyclist's life. Past examples include a corset saving the life of a young girl in the 1800's from a stabbing, layered cotton forming a protective vest and various suits of armour. My thorough research informed silhouette, fabrication, functional aspects and inspired unique techniques. When I was a young girl, I remember my father bought a suit of armour. I have always admired the construction and how people were able to handle the weight of it. To this day, the suit of armour still stands proudly in our dining room. For what seems to be a normal for my family soon surprises anyone who hasn't visited before, which brings us humour every time. With design longevity of such significance in today's fashion landscape, the evolution of a patina, for materials such as leather and denim, through wear is truly beautiful and not only shows the durability of the garment but the way in which it has lived with the wearer. Every crease and colour change symbolises a lived experience, hence people are far more likely to preserve their garment, that was once in its natural raw state, than a cheaper item which has been stone-washed or chrome dyed that has no character. Hence, I have chosen to use raw and GOTS certified organic cotton denim with 32% distilled indigo which saves water and it is highly traceable through Oritain. Also, I have chosen vegetable tanned leather which reduces chemicals, waste and water usage. Overall, materiality regarding personal memories and the emotional relationship between garment and wearer can evoke such power. This motivates me to honour and protect the planet and the natural materials which have hugely impacted our lives.
