The Big Apple grasps the thistle

Published on Wednesday 4 April 2007 01:51

SANDI Thom, in a fitted red tartan jacket and black pencil skirt designed by Vivienne Westwood, teetered on eight-inch platforms and brandished a blue tartan guitar; a black-kilted Tom Gold, principal dancer with New York City Ballet, showed just how much room for manoeuvre a kilt can offer with a high-kicking Highland fling; and lingerie company Victoria's Secret sent out a gaggle of models wearing the flimsiest briefs and bras, inspired by Scotland and featuring scraps of tweed, vintage lace,

This was the Dressed to Kilt fashion show, one of the highlights of Tartan Week, a wildly enjoyable fusion of the quirky, the stylish and the contemporary, with a huge dose of tradition thrown in.

More than 1,000 people poured into the grand Venetian hall in New York's Capitale building for the showcase of Scotland-inspired fashion. It opened with Scots model Chris Capaldi and American Francesco Belcaro showing off their muscles in outfits inspired by both Braveheart and ancient Rome, followed by Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka modelling a dramatic yellow-and-black tartan dress designed by Sandra Murray from Lewis, home island of Ivanka's grandmother. Edinburgh-based Joey D then built on his growing reputation as a designer of distinctive vision with tiny flared miniskirts and tightly-fitted jackets. Structured heavyweight tartans, tough tweeds and camouflage fitted together with reclaimed belts, buckles and buttons cut a dramatic swathe down the catwalk from a man whose clothing ethos reflects an entire life philosophy. Afterwards, he was delighted: "It's been fantastic. The reaction out there was just brilliant, people were really getting into what we're doing."

A more classic take on "tartan with a twist" came from Joyce Young of the Glasgow-based Tartan Spirit, but she was equally excited by the success of Dressed To Kilt. "It's like no other fashion show," she said. "It's a great experience, raises the profile of all the people there, and is also a great opportunity for Scottish designers and manufacturers to get together."

The girls from Glasgow-based rock band The Hedrons showed the casual side of Scottish design in lion-rampant T-shirts by Slanj, while Lord of the Rings star Billy Boyd raised the clan spirit by dressing as Bonnie Prince Charlie.

New designers Louise Gray and Scott Ramsay Kyle cut rather more modern figures, with Gray sending her models out in bright and unstructured geometric dresses in silk chiffon, with eye-watering abstract embellishments. Kyle had an equally futuristic take on form - using square shapes of alpaca wool and cashmere in his garments - albeit in more muted shades of brown and grey.

And, from new names in fashion to a catwalk veteran, as the crowd was wowed by the latest Vivienne Westwood creation, a fantastic coat jacket from her forthcoming season's collection. The Wake Up Cave Girl outfit, tailored in a pink-and-green enlarged tartan, with the signature Westwood nipped waist and structured collar, and was sewn together like a haphazardly arranged jigsaw puzzle.

Even fashion names associated with more traditional Scottish outfits were caught up in the rebellious nature of the night. Lochcarron of Scotland showed off cute cashmere pants and tiny heather-coloured jumpers, with purple tartan sleeves.

Many of the male models on the runway wore kilts made from material by Calzeat and Co, the Biggar-based company whose most recent development is a jacquard cloth. Extremely hardwearing fabric in unusual, almost native-American-style designs, as well as Celtic knots, these were naturally dyed and reminiscent of ancient tartan colours, resulting in kilts that looked both tough and exotic.

The final display comprised some startling red-and-white tartan macs by Mackintosh, modelled by current Miss Scotland, Lois Weatherup, her predecessor Nicola McLean and the rather less glamorous Craig Hill.

Geoffrey Scott Caroll, the event's organiser, said afterwards: "This was our best show yet. The energy and electricity around it all were fantastic. The quality of models, quality of clothes, and quality of designs from Scotland have been tremendous. The event completely sold out and we had to make arrangements to allow in more people."