Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective Showcases Next Generation of Talent at London Fashion Week
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The Glasgow: Scotland with Style Design Collective will return for a fourth season to London Fashion Week (LFW) in September 08 when the city’s next generation of exciting design talent will be showcased alongside some of its current fashion trail blazers.
Funded jointly by Glasgow City Marketing Bureau¹ and the Scottish Government – together with additional support this season from Scottish Enterprise Textiles Team - the initiative not only provides a platform for Glasgow’s design talent but also highlights the importance of the Scottish Textiles industry to the nation’s economy. The sector currently employs around 17,000 people in Scotland and generates more than £1.08 billion annually in economic benefit.
Applications for this season were received from eighteen designers and following a collegiate decision by the specially selected advisory panel², eight applicants were put forward to the British Fashion Council judging panel for vetting. All were subsequently approved for admission and will be showcased on the Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective Stand at London Fashion Week in September.
Joining fashion trailblazers Aimee McWilliams, Deryck Walker, Olanic and Vidler & Nixon on the Stand at LFW, are: Alice Palmer, Bebaroque, Graeme Armour and Jamie Bruski-Tetsill, who together represent the project’s Next Generation of design talent.
As in previous seasons all the designers are either from the Metropolitan Glasgow area, have trained there, or have chosen to be based in the city.
Commenting on the joint initiative, The Scottish Government’s Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, Linda Fabiani, said: “Scotland’s textile industry is famous for quality and craftsmanship. Through innovative young designers from our Art and Design institutions, a contemporary take on tradition is helping to keep Scottish talent at the very centre of the fashion world.
“I am delighted that Scotland will once again have a presence at London Fashion Week. It gives a unique opportunity to profile our young emerging designers and plays an important role in showing the rest of the world what an exciting and diverse place Scotland is for innovative textiles, fashion and design.”
Bailie Liz Cameron, Vice-Chair - Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, added:
“Since its inception the Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective has played a key role in helping the city’s best young designers progress from emerging to established brands. A prime example of this is Christopher Kane who was a member of the initiative in its first three seasons and whose career has now gone stratospheric.”
“We are delighted to be working once again in partnership at LFW with The Scottish Government and are thrilled that this season Scottish Enterprise Textiles is also part of the team, which will help profile Glasgow - and Scotland’s - creativity on the international fashion stage.”
Speaking on behalf of all the participating designers, Deryck Walker, said:
“What the Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective does is to provide a high profile platform for young designers. Not only does it help raise awareness at London Fashion Week of the talent coming out of Scotland but it also helps convert this interest into actual sales and profile for us.
“The assistance being given to us through the initiative by the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Scottish Enterprise Textiles Team is invaluable.”
As part of the joint activity at LFW, Scottish Enterprise Textiles Team will take the opportunity to highlight signature pieces on The Stand from its designer/manufacturer collaboration³ project.
Robin Walden, Project Manager - Scottish Enterprise Textiles Team, commented:
“This high profile showcase event at London Fashion Week will allow us to promote the breadth of talent and expertise that exists in Scotland’s fashion and textiles industry and attract the interest of buyers from around the world.”
In addition to designer support, PR and marketing, The Scottish Government, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Scottish Enterprise Textiles Team will also co-host a reception during London Fashion Week for buyers, media and key influencers.
Past members of the initiative include:
Christopher Kane – now firmly established as one of the biggest stars on the international fashion stage; textiles designer Jennifer Lang; jewellery/silversmith collective Brazen, and Scott Ramsay-Kyle.
A bespoke website can be accessed at: www.seeglasgow.com/design
ENDS 9 JULY 2008
For more information and images, please contact:
Morna McLelland/Lesley Morton/Jenny Ingram
Stripe Communications
T: 0131 561 8628 E-mail : GSWS@stripecom.co.uk
(or)
Moira Dyer
Senior Manager – Public Relations
Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
T: 0141 566 0831 E-mail: moira.dyer@seeglasgow.com
Notes to Editors
1. The Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective’s first two seasons at London Fashion Week (September 06, February 07) were funded solely by Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and jointly with The Scottish Government in September 07 and the forthcoming season in September 08. Scottish Textiles is also providing additional financial support for the forthcoming session.
2. The 2008 Glasgow-based advisory panel comprised; Jimmy Stephen-Cran, Head of Textiles – School of Design, The Glasgow School of Art; Nancy McLardie, Head of Public Relations and Moira Dyer, Senior Manager – Public Relations, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau; Justine Watt – Marketing and Events Manager and Ian Hartley - Marketing Manager, Brand - International Projects Division, Scottish Government and Stewart Roxburgh – Scottish Textiles.
3. Scottish Enterprise Textiles Team’s designer/manufacturer collaboration initiative is helping to address two key areas of the Scottish Textiles Industry Strategy: raising the international profile of Scottish textiles companies and encouraging greater levels of innovation and collaboration within the sector.
4. London Fashion Week takes place from 14-19 September in ‘The Tents’ at the Natural History Museum.
The Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective – September 08
- Aimee McWilliams spent her early years in Metropolitan Glasgow before moving to London. Graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2004 with a first class BA Honours in fashion womenswear, Aimee is considered one of the UK’s most successful rising designers.
- Deryck Walker studied fashion/textiles in Glasgow, and launched his menswear label in 2004. He showed his first-ever womenswear collection at OnIOff during LFW as part of the Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective in September 07. Deryck has recently relocated back to Glasgow from London and now works out of the Studio Warehouse (SWG3) in the city’s Yorkhill district.
- Olanic creative force, Niki Taylor, is driven by the idea of heightening everyday, practical styles with a directional, tailored edge. Olanic has exhibited over three seasons as part of the Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective and as a result got the opportunity to dress the band Faithless at LFW for their world tour.
- Vidler & Nixon is the successful working partnership of Glasgow born Kerry Nixon and Stefan Vidler, who, after a chance meeting, have together sparked a range of intricate one-off pieces. Their first collection was in Spring/Summer 06 and celebrity fans of their designs include Sienna Miller, Keira Knightly and Björk.
Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective ‘Next Generation’
- Alice Palmer graduated from The Glasgow School of Art in 2000 and in the same year designed a knitted fabric that combined silk with wire that was displayed at an inventors' showcase at the Glasgow Science Centre and named as one of country's most creative products. She has since gained a Masters from the Royal College of Art specialising in Knitted Textiles, and explores unconventional methods of construction, allowing a three dimensional form. This is her first season showing at London Fashion Week.
- BeBaroque was established in 2007 by fashion duo Mhairi McNicol and Chloe Patience after both designers completed an Honours degree in Textiles at The Glasgow School of Art. Both designers then went on to gain Master degrees in Textiles and Fashion; Chloe completing her course at Edinburgh College of Art, and Mhairi at The Glasgow School of Art. Combining Chloe’s artistic skills with Mhairi’s embroidery, they have created distinctive hosiery unique in the current fashion market. Their work has quickly been adopted by leading stockists including Diverse, Bordello, Boudiche, ASOS.com and New York’s Brooklyn Fox Lingerie. They were the recipients of Scottish Accessory Designer of the Year award at the 2008 Scottish Fashion Awards.
- Glasgow-born Graeme Armour is a graduate of Central Saint Martins whose talent was spotted by Alexander McQueen as early as 2004. Representing cutting edge, iconoclastic talent in both design and creativity, Graeme was singled out as a 2007 finalist in the prestigious Fashion Fringe for his work in silks, organza and jersey. As well as being part of the Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective Stand, Graeme will also have a catwalk show at LFW. He was the recipient of the Scottish Young Designer of the Year award at the 2008 Scottish Fashion Awards.
- Jamie Bruski Tetsill left The Glasgow School of Art in 2005 with a first class BA Honours degree in Textiles, and graduated with an MA in Fashion from Central Saint Martins in 2007. Jamie showed his S/S 08 collection at London Fashion Week in September 07 as part of the Glasgow: Scotland with style Design Collective.