Dior In Scotland: The making of the Cruise 2025 collection

[Marshall]

Of possible interest? The research for this fashion show involves visits to Harris Tweed along with trips to individual weavers, etc. Seeing the Harris Tweed Archive was especially interesting. Cheers!

[Marshall]

Some folks might be interested in seeing large portions of the actual fashion show which was posted six months ago. I watched most of it, but eventually skipped forward to when the pipers arrived (16:00 mark).

[Allan Thomson]

Interestingly enough whilst dragged into a branch of Christine Dior in Venicecby my 'wife' I was shown a collection of garments made as part of the collection.

The 'plaid dress' retailing at some 3 K felt very much like some loom woven blanket material I had made by Laxey Woollen Mills which cost me some £120 then I would be very surprised if a decent dressmaker couldn't know up a similar or even better quality garment made to fit an individual for around £300....

I didn't see any cloth that would strike me as better quality or heavier weight than the handover cloth my brother made.

As regards design concepts I didn't see any truly unique or original designs that stuck me as one hasn't already seen. For example a rustic Arisaid or belted plaid, a doublet style loosely inspired by possibly 16th or 17th C male garments. Many of the designs seemed to be no more original than the punk type garments of the 70's.

It was interesting to talk to the sales assistant and get some insight into the reasons why the fashion chain had chosen to be so Scottish inspired (I'll bet that Outlander has some part in it).

I also took the time to build her understanding of how the cloth designs are made (she kept saying printed and I advised her that true Woollen tartan material is made of Woollen woven threads not "printed" as she initially said.

The concept brochure does make for interesting reading. If I get it home and get time I'll share some of it here..


above should read handwoven not handover cloth

[OC Richard]

Thanks for the link to that video Marshall!

The fashions don't do a thing for me. Outlander Meets Goth.

I got confirmation, the lone piper is Brighde Chaimbeul. What a great gig! Good for her.

As a piper I'll say that I dread it when clients want me to march down a fight of steps while playing.

For some reason clients always think it will look cool, but it doesn't look cool when you have to always be looking down at your feet, or tripping and falling due to not looking down at your feet.

The fact that she's looking dead ahead tells me that she's practiced it. You need to remember the exact height and width of the specific steps- flights of stairs vary.

Then when the group of GHB players arrive they're NOT playing while marching down the steps. Get on flat ground, then play! The pipers probably had to talk the client into agreeing to that. Good decision.

I don't know what tune they're initially playing, it's really cool with great harmonies.

I'm told that the GHB players are from the National Piping Centre in Glasgow https://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/le...QaAmDFEALw_wcB

(For us piping nerds they're playing G1 chanters, and you can see some naked sheepskin bags.)

[Marshall]

Thanks for the link to that video Marshall!

The fashions don't do a thing for me. Outlander Meets Goth.

I got confirmation, the lone piper is Brighde Chaimbeul. What a great gig! Good for her.

As a piper I'll say that I dread it when clients want me to march down a fight of steps while playing.

For some reason clients always think it will look cool, but it doesn't look cool when you have to always be looking down at your feet, or tripping and falling due to not looking down at your feet.

The fact that she's looking dead ahead tells me that she's practiced it. You need to remember the exact height and width of the specific steps- flights of stairs vary.

Then when the group of GHB players arrive they're NOT playing while marching down the steps. Get on flat ground, then play! The pipers probably had to talk the client into agreeing to that. Good decision.

I don't know what tune they're initially playing, it's really cool with great harmonies.

I'm told that the GHB players are from the National Piping Centre in Glasgow https://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/le...QaAmDFEALw_wcB

(For us piping nerds they're playing G1 chanters, and you can see some naked sheepskin bags.)

Hey OC,

I had to see if I could find the tune as I'd figured you would know it for sure? According to this article the first tune they were playing was The Night Snakes followed by Gordon Duncan reels. Regards.

https://bagpipe.news/2024/06/22/dior...ummond-castle/

[OC Richard]

Thanks!

That answers all the questions...except about whether the producers originally wanted all the pipers to march down the stairs while playing.

Believe you me, if there are stairs the client wants the pipers to march down them while playing. Last-minute negotiations are rare in my experience, and that's the most common issue.

Marching down stairs piping without looking down is tough. Worst is marching down stairs piping in the dark while not looking down, which myself and another piper were asked to do.

It was at a major concert hall, and the orchestra was doing some Christmas piece that had pipes coming in halfway through.

Rather than just having us walk out onstage, the conductor wanted us to come in where the audience does, start playing (joining in with the orchestra) then walk all the way down steps, then up more steps onto the stage, continuing to play the entire time.

The house lights were down and it was pretty dark, tricky steps if you're looking down, but we had to keep our eyes on the conductor to stay in time with the orchestra. Add to that the other thing that clients always want: two pipers coming in from opposite sides, so the pipers can't hear each other, and get out of time from each other.

After a couple run-throughs we made it clear to the conductor that we couldn't both watch him and go down a long flight of steps in the dark while piping.

The compromise was that we would come down the steps and get into place nearer to the stage prior to our joining the orchestra, then play in place, exactly what is seen in that Dior video.