John Sutcliffe (designer)
Encyclopedia
John Sutcliffe was a British fashion design
er and fetish photographer, famous in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s as a designer of clothes for aficionados of leather, rubber and PVC fetishism, with an emphasis on rubber and leather catsuit
s, cloak
s, and gasmasks.
After service in the RAF, he set up a workshop at 10a Dryden Street in London.
It is a popular misconception that he designed the leather outfits for The Avengers
. He did not They were designed by Michael Whittaker for Honor Blackman
and by John Bates for Diana Rigg
, although they may have been made in John's workshop. He did design some costumes for the stage version of the Avengers which appeared later. He did however design the leather outfit worn by the main protagonist in the movie The Girl on a Motorcycle
which influence the look portrayed in the Avengers.
At one time he designed a boot suit, which comprised a pair of thigh-length boots
, which carried on to join at the crotch, and then upwards to become an entire catsuit with a hood.
He was also the publisher of the fetish magazine
AtomAge
, which featured many of his clothing designs.
It had two sister publications, The Rubberist and Dressing For Pleasure, both of which are now published by Dave Watson of G&M Fashions.
AtomAge attracted a certain amount of attention when the police decided to prosecute the publisher, Sutcliffe, in the mid-1980s, for obscenity. Despite protest from both fetishists and defenders of civil liberties alike, Sutcliffe pleaded guilty. His stock and photos were seized and destroyed and the publications temporarily closed. The shame may well have contributed to his death.
Sutcliffe's legacy is the booming fetish clothing industry in Britain, Germany, the USA and many other parts of the world, the wide range of fetish events, such as the yearly Rubber Ball in the UK, and the large numbers of people who enjoy dressing up in exciting ways without fear of prosecution.
In his final years, Sutcliffe shared a workshop in West London.
2010 sees the publication of the first ever book about Sutcliffe and AtomAge - Dressing For Pleasure, a history of AtomAge is published by Fuel and edited by Jonny Trunk.
Fashion design
Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
er and fetish photographer, famous in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s as a designer of clothes for aficionados of leather, rubber and PVC fetishism, with an emphasis on rubber and leather catsuit
Catsuit
A catsuit is a close-fitting one-piece garment that covers the torso and the legs, and frequently the arms. They are usually made from stretchable material, such as lycra, chiffon, spandex , leather, latex, PVC, or velour, and frequently close using a zipper at the front or back.Catsuits, which...
s, cloak
Cloak
A cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat; it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks are as old as human history; there has nearly always been...
s, and gasmasks.
After service in the RAF, he set up a workshop at 10a Dryden Street in London.
It is a popular misconception that he designed the leather outfits for The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
. He did not They were designed by Michael Whittaker for Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman is an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger .-Early life:...
and by John Bates for Diana Rigg
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg, DBE is an English actress. She is probably best known for her portrayals of Emma Peel in The Avengers and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service....
, although they may have been made in John's workshop. He did design some costumes for the stage version of the Avengers which appeared later. He did however design the leather outfit worn by the main protagonist in the movie The Girl on a Motorcycle
The Girl on a Motorcycle
The Girl on a Motorcycle , also known as Naked Under Leather, is a 1968 British-French film starring Alain Delon, Marianne Faithfull, Roger Mutton, Marius Goring, and Catherine Jourdan. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of...
which influence the look portrayed in the Avengers.
At one time he designed a boot suit, which comprised a pair of thigh-length boots
Thigh-length boots
Thigh-high boots, known also as thigh-length boots or simply thigh boots, are boots that extend above the knees. Other synonyms include over-the-knee boots , and especially when cuffed, pirate boots...
, which carried on to join at the crotch, and then upwards to become an entire catsuit with a hood.
He was also the publisher of the fetish magazine
Fetish magazine
A fetish magazine is a type of magazine originating in the 1960s which is devoted to sexual fetishism. The content is generally aimed at being erotic rather than pornographic...
AtomAge
AtomAge
AtomAge magazine was a fetish magazine published in Britain by the clothes designer John Sutcliffe in the 1970s as an offshoot of his AtomAge fetish clothing business. The first AtomAge clothing catalogue was published in 1965; the first issue of the magazine in A5 format was published in 1972...
, which featured many of his clothing designs.
It had two sister publications, The Rubberist and Dressing For Pleasure, both of which are now published by Dave Watson of G&M Fashions.
AtomAge attracted a certain amount of attention when the police decided to prosecute the publisher, Sutcliffe, in the mid-1980s, for obscenity. Despite protest from both fetishists and defenders of civil liberties alike, Sutcliffe pleaded guilty. His stock and photos were seized and destroyed and the publications temporarily closed. The shame may well have contributed to his death.
Sutcliffe's legacy is the booming fetish clothing industry in Britain, Germany, the USA and many other parts of the world, the wide range of fetish events, such as the yearly Rubber Ball in the UK, and the large numbers of people who enjoy dressing up in exciting ways without fear of prosecution.
In his final years, Sutcliffe shared a workshop in West London.
2010 sees the publication of the first ever book about Sutcliffe and AtomAge - Dressing For Pleasure, a history of AtomAge is published by Fuel and edited by Jonny Trunk.
External links
- Dressing For Pleasure, the book of Atomage imagery, history and readers letters
- Atomage Magazine Appreciation Site (A private, non-commercial site featuring the history and work of John Sutcliffe and his Atomage fetish clothing business)
- A collection of AtomAge cover pictures
- EVOLVER article on John Sutcliffe (in German)