16/12/2025
Collective Matter X Panel
Rain Poncho
Katie Schwab with Halley Stevensons and Greenhills Clothing
Materials: Waxed cotton
Made in Scotland
In partnership with , during 2018 Panel commissioned ‘Souvenirs of Calton Hill’, a collection of products created by artists in close collaboration with producers, fabricators and developers across the UK and Europe.
Katie Schwab’s ‘Rain Poncho’ is based on a 1980s design by British fashion designer Mary Quant. Originally made of heat-bonded PVC, her waterproof garment was retailed duty-free at airports and on board cross-channel hovercraft. Available in three colourways to suit different tastes, the lightweight, one-size-fits-all design quickly became a bestseller.
The Collective poncho takes Quant’s design as its starting point. However, its multi-purpose nature comes from an 1887 image by pioneering Edinburgh photographer Thomas Begbie. A chronicler of city life, Begbie’s photograph shows washerwomen leaving their laundry out to dry on Calton Hill. The large blocks of fabric form a striking image that became the inspiration for the versatility of the poncho, which can be used as both a garment and a groundsheet.
Image one / Washerwomen on Calton Hill, Glass negative, Thomas Begbie, 1887. Courtesy The City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries
Image two / Danilo and Andressa from Brazil wear the Rain Poncho, posing on Edinburgh’s Disgrace
Image three / Katie Schwab photographed by Alastair Levy
Image four / Anita and family from England picnic on a pair of Rain Ponchos on Calton Hill
