Technicolor Dreamcoat
COLIN BAKER’S COSTUME WAS CONTROVERSIAL – BUT GRAHAM KIBBLE-WHITE MEETS A MAN WHO CELEBRATES ITS “TOTALLY TASTELESS” GLORY
It’s 1984, and the sixth doctor’s costume is revealed. designed by Pat Godfrey, under instruction from producer John nathan-turner, to be the epitome of bad taste, the clashing colours, polka dots and checks fulfil that brief.
For many, it’s a migraine made visible, but for art student steve Ricks (now 51) it was the spark of something. “i was at that age where you want a shock,” he tells SFX. “that coat was a big, ‘Wow’. there was no way you could ignore it.” the costume prompted steve to wheel out his mother’s hand-cranked sewing machine, and create his own replica, but he didn’t take his efforts any further. that was until the arrival of david tennant, and specifically, his flappy coat. after buying a disappointing imitation from China, steve decided to create his own. sharing his efforts online, he was then commissioned by collectors Chris Pocock and John Walker to produce a Fifth doctor coat. When he delivered it, he discovered they owned a full original sixth doctor costume. Once again, something sparked.
having retrained as a tailor, after the banking crisis curtailed his career in advertising, steve now had more resources to tackle a complete millimetre-accurate recreation, from cravat to spats.
“it took three years to source the 14 fabrics,” he reports. along the way, he was allowed further access to the original. “i was able to lay the coat out and trace the shapes to create an accurate pattern. and i returned with colour swatches to check i’d got everything right.”
during his R&d, steve unlocked secrets in the apparel.
he discovered one of the front pockets was extraordinarily deep, reaching down to the hem of the coat. “apparently, it was designed so the doctor could carry some sort of laser, but it was never used.” and that the yellow cravat worn during the “trial Of a time Lord” series was “made from a scarf produced by Yves saint Laurent, and actually had their logo woven into the fabric”.
Plus, his research revealed the BBC had originally commissioned the tartan section in pink, only re-dying it red after misgivings about the overall look, and that during his first year, Colin Baker had added a black cat to the interior of the lapel for every story completed.
steve reckons his final recreation cost him in the region of £6000. all for a costume that even Colin Baker himself had misgivings about (“at least i was on the inside looking out”). Yet steve celebrates it. “it is shocking on the eye,” he concedes, “but it’s the most incredible piece of tailoring.”
Discover Steve’s costuming at: www.6thdoctorcostume.com