Highland Fling

Monday, November 15, 2010

Highland Fling

I was checking out pictures online earlier of the Central St Martins 20:20 party which took place over the weekend. 20:20 is an initiative set up to provide funding and support to CSM fashion students and is an amazing idea given how difficult it can be for emerging designers to finance themselves. We need to foster our home-grown fashion talent! And when you think of some of the CSM alumni: Stella McCartney, Pheobe Philo, Alexander McQueen - well just say the world would be a lot less colourful without them!

I have just completely digressed from the point of this post. Here we go: well, Daisy Lowe (love her) caught my eye resplendent in Versus tartan.....is tartan making a comeback courtesy of Christopher Kane?

Daisy Lowe in Versus

I know, it is a bit early for Burns night to be thinking of clans, haggis and rugged moors. But it is not only uber-Scot Kane who is championing the return of this heritage fabric. I spotted tartan on the catwalk at dSquared2 (who can forget their tartan 'glamping' picnic blanket dress from Spring Summer 2010) and Marc Jacobs. M.A.C - always quick to jump on a bandwagon - have just created a new collection, entitled 'A Tartan Tale'. Vivienne Westwood has just created a stationary collection including notebooks and diaries in her signature Albion tartan. And even luxe shopping and fashion websites such as farfetch.com have been talking about this trend.

I think of tartan as a bit Marmite: some people really hate it, but there is a lot of fun to be had with this versatile fabric. It can be punk (think Westwood); it can be posh (think old school aristocracy dancing eightsome reels in their kilts); it can be prim and haughty and it can be sexy (see Christopher Kane). Here are some of my favourite pictures from through out the ages.