Scottish Fashion Council frowns on tartan

[sirdaniel1975]

I agree with Jock Scot. Although architecture isn't their strong point (see:Scottish Parliament).

I would have to seriously disagree. My great grandfather studied architecture in Glasgow before emigrating to the US in 1903. Apparently his credentials were good enough to be apart of the renovation as a draftsman on the Macy's building in Manhattan.

Famed architect Franklin Loyd Wright was of Scottish Ancestry, and I attended college at a campus where the majority of buildings were his work. "Florida Southern College!"

I rather think that Scottish Parliament Building to be very modern and ambitious.

[smaughazard]

Personally, I could care less about what ANY "Fashion Council" has to say; I consider the entire fashion industry as simply a way to encourage the discarding of perfectly good clothing. What? You say my tie's too narrow, or my lapels too wide? I couldn't possibly care less! I try to buy clothing that is fairly fashion-proof.

Luckily, as a biker, I find that cycle fashion is jeans, boots and T-shirts. The look has stayed pretty much the same since the 50s, and I predict that the trend will continue indefinitely.

Kilts, fortunately for all of us here, demonstrate even more staying power.

[O'Callaghan]

i can see their point, but in truth whatever they design will be long gone when tartan is still going strong. Annoying for them, but not something that needs to be changed.

[Larry124]

Personally, I could care less about what ANY "Fashion Council" has to say; I consider the entire fashion industry as simply a way to encourage the discarding of perfectly good clothing. What? You say my tie's too narrow, or my lapels too wide? I couldn't possibly care less! I try to buy clothing that is fairly fashion-proof.

Luckily, as a biker, I find that cycle fashion is jeans, boots and T-shirts. The look has stayed pretty much the same since the 50s, and I predict that the trend will continue indefinitely.

Kilts, fortunately for all of us here, demonstrate even more staying power.

Yes, "fashion" is about separating folks from their money and not much more.

[Rex_Tremende]

Hey now! What we now consider national costume was once the fashion of the day. Object to the fashion industry with all its breathlessness, if you like, but everything you buy to put on your body had to be designed by somebody.

As for the fashion council of Scotland whining that they're not getting noticed, well then maybe they should design more noteworthy clothes.

Regards,
Rex.

[McClef]

They won't improve what they think should be the image of Scotland by denigrating and minimising what Scotland has already given the to the world.

"Fashion" is ephemeral and what says "Scotland" to the world more than tartan does?

[RockyR]

My guess is that they get "tired" of hearing certain things the same way we do. After years wearing a kilt, I STILLL get the 2 questions...

"Where are your bagpipes / Are you a bagpiper?" OR "What are you wearing under your kilt?"

I IMAGINE they get the same kind of thing... "Your're a Scottish Fashion show? Where are the kilts / Tartans / Tweeds?" People try to put them in the "tartan box" and assume that tey SHOULD have tartans b/c they are from Scotland.

They probably get sick of being asked and therefore want to push HARD in the OPPOSITE direction AWAY from kilts / tartan. After all, they're "fashion people" who want to be seen as different and fresh and new. They're trying to break tried and true "associations" (i.e. Scotland = Tartan) in the general public's head... NOT an easy thing to do.

Either way, I'M still wearing tartan whether it's in style or not.

[RockyR]

As for the fashion council of Scotland whining that they're not getting noticed, well then maybe they should design more noteworthy clothes.

Here here. Maybe if they DID use tartan (OR TWEED) but with a twist, they'd have somethng worth praise.

[ThistleDown]

Here here. Maybe if they DID use tartan (OR TWEED) but with a twist, they'd have somethng worth praise.

"...whenever you get these events (Scotland Week in New York) happening abroad they still seem to be about tartans and kilts, as opposed to the reality of Scotland's designers who buyers are all screaming for."

Scotland does have a vibrant design industry and there is great talent in it. In another thread on XMTS we have seen some of the new designs using tartan now out there for women, and "buyers are all screaming" for these. What they are really whining about is that they are sometimes and in some places upstaged by tradition in the form of kilts. But in their complaint they are focusing on spectacles such as Scotland Week in New York, instead of turning their attention to promoting Scottish design at home, in Paris, Rome, Moscow and Dublin and, at other times in the year than Scotland Week, in New York.

[Tommy Hunt]

I, too, Jock. Those things for which nation or a people become famous, however, do not need to be set aside in order to show that there are other facets of the culture or the society that need applause, too. The Tartan Week thing in New York had a purpose, well met; the new Scotland Week has another and it is up to the fashion circles in Scotland (or the universities, or high-tech companies, or agricultural associations, or others) to show their faces. It is not up to the weaving and woollen industries, the distilleries and the bakers to take a back seat so they can do so.

Tartan Week isn't important (or doesn't exist) in other parts of the world. Has the Scottish non-tartan/non-tweed fashion industry stepped into this void?

Agreed. Not knowing a lot about Tartan Week I imagine it's a celebration of tradition. I applaud this. So much of our traditions have been lost or are being ignored. It appears to me that the intent of the Scottish Fashion Council aside from an understandable wish to promote itself, is to eliminate the popular traditional dress of Scotland.

"The perception of Scottish fashion abroad sometimes struggles," said Tessa Hartmann, founder and co-chair of the council. "We're up against that image of tartan, tweed and shortcake.
advertisement

"That's something slowly being stamped out by the likes of Christopher Kane and Graeme Black.

Stamping out a perception (or the thing itself) so vital to Scottish culture so a select few can rah rah their own brand of fashion seems a bit like cultural suicide to me.

Hartmann said that up until now several official Scottish events abroad have mismanaged Scotland by relying heavily upon the dreaded tartan.

Dreaded? There is one action universally perscribed for a thing understood as "dreaded" and that's to eliminate it. I think the Scottish Fashion Council's Tessa Hartmann is showing her true colors and her true purpose if this is indeed her sentiment.