Model shots-Wildcat Tartan

[Alan H]

These are a few "extras" from the photo shoot last weekend with Angela Graham ( our model) and Becky Zachau (photographer). Becky got about 175 shots. I'll be picking 3-4 for the Press Release and making another 6-8 available for high-resolution download. These are some of the "extras".

Flat Cap



Skirt



Skirt and Handbag



The whole kit...

[bdkilted]

I thought you said there was a tartan in these pictures.

[Alan H]

Yes, Angela is a comely lass.

I met her at the Monterey Highland Games a couple of years ago. She came out and on zero practice, whatsoever, dominated the Womens C class. She came out to Stanford and practiced for part of the 2013 season and we got to be good friends.

Angela played semi-professional softball after college. She in the Diablo Valley College Athletics Hall of Fame... she pitched DVC to two State Titles and then went on to play on the US National team before going to Italy for her year of semi-pro. She's close to 6 feet tall. She's currently making her living as a firefighter with CALFire...mostly forest fires but some structural stuff as necessary.

The whole idea to market handbags is Angela's. She's a smart chick, too.

.....And she's a rather attractive lady!

Here's another shot of Angela....not quite the "fashion photo"




Becky, the photographer is a former thrower and good friend who just took up pretty serious wedding and "special events" photography a few years ago. Becky is also the Womens USA National Masters Olympic Lifting Champion for 2014.

Here's Becky....no tartan, though!



I have cool friends.

[Stitchwiz]

You do have cool friends, Alan!

Well done, ladies!

Are there any photos of men wearing kilts to be included in the group of photos, Alan?

[Alan H]

You do have cool friends, Alan!

Well done, ladies!

Are there any photos of men wearing kilts to be included in the group of photos, Alan?

The honest truth is probably not.

Why, you ask? Because I'm thinking very hard about what might actually sell, from here on out.

The overwhelming majority of sales for kilts in the USA and Canada have probably already happened. No clan has shown any significant interest, at all. Now, a few individuals in various clans are interested. For example, I've given a swatch to one of our local representatives for Clan MacIntosh. However, I've gotten a huge non-reaction from the Clans Chattan and the associated clans. I literally could not tell the story of the tartan to the Clans Chattan reps here in both northern California and southern California, they completely tuned me out. You'd think they'd be into it, but apparently not. The fact that we've sold 90+ yards already, mostly to the USA and Canada is in fact, *Huge* and that's probably it.

Now, are we going to sell kilts in Scotland? The answer is almost certainly "No". As Jock Scot and several other Scots on this forum have pointed out new tartans simply don't "register" with the overwhelming majority of Scottish men. If they're going to get a kilt, then they'll own ONE kilt and it will be either in the family tartan or something very well-known and conservative. "New" tartans don't even count as a drop in the bucket. This was confirmed by my visit to Gordon Nicholson kiltmakers in Edinburgh this past summer. He had bolts of both the University of Edinburgh tartan and teh John Muir Way tartan....both new. He was extremely pleased to have taken orders for two bolts (about 70 yards) of the University of Edinburgh tartan and one bolt (of about 30 yards) of the John Muir Way tartan. We've already far, far outsold that. So I'm writing off sales to Scottish men, because I doubt we'll sell much at all. I find it very interesting that the principals of Wildcat Haven haven't even expressed interest in a kilt. -> None. Zero interest in owning a kilt in this tartan. All righty, then. That leaves Scottish women.

Thus the absolute brilliance of Angela's suggestion to market a handbag. Handbags don't cost nearly what a kilt costs and don't have the huge "cultural implications" of kilt. I wasn't going to get into marketing an "accessory" but with the discovery of the woman who makes the bags in the photographs, all of a sudden that became a non-problem.

Also, the fashion magazines and fabric industry magazines and the Edinburgh Post fashion section etc. etc. don't want pictures of MEN. They want pictures of WOMEN, because who reads that stuff? --- Women. Look at how Locharron marketed the initial release of the Capercaillie tartan...another tartan with an environmental theme to it. They publicised it with (horrible!!! --) shots of Miss Scotland wearing a midi-length kilt. She was plastered up against a tree in the most awkward positions imagineable. Not only that but whoever took the shots publicised a number that were just plain BAD from a compositional standpoint. Even I, who has very little "eye" for that sort of thing, knew that these were terrible.

Angela and I talked for quite a while over the right length of skirt to make for her. If it's too short, it puts off the more "mature" members of the audience. If it's too long, then twenty-somethings won't buy it because it's "dowdy". I hope we got it about right. Becky and I wrote back and forth 5-6x about what kids of shots to get. When I select the photos that will go in the actual Press Release, in fact it won't be ME selecting the photos. It will be the Luminous Joan, who has spent plenty of time looking at copies of Vogue and Elle and has the 21 century aware-womans eye for what works...whereas I, with a Y chromosome, probably do not.

I NEVER thought about this stuff before I started this project!

[Stitchwiz]

We are learning until we stop breathing, Alan.

I appreciate your well thought out reply. I was paying attention to the skirt length, and I agree that you have probably got it right.

The cap looks like it will be popular with the younger ladies, I see lots of that type worn in our area.

The handbag is awesome! Thank you, Angela! - and from what I've seen and heard, many women have dozens of them, so that was a very good call.

Just love that tartan!

Good Luck!

[unixken]

Excellent photos. I really like the one showing the cap, bag, and skirt.