Tartan reigns as low-key and comfy dominate Brave premiere

By RUTH WALKER
Published on 30/06/2012 23:19

THE invitation said black tie, but in the end the dress code was a little like the weather: moments of sunshine with quite a few dull patches thrown in for good measure. Well, it was Scotland, after all.

As expected, there were swathes of tartan – the DunBroth tartan, to be precise – designed for Disney and worn in kilt form by Kevin McKidd and director Mark Andrews, and as a sash by producer Katherine Sarafian, over her emerald green, David Meister frock.

Scots singer Julie Fowlis, who performs the haunting soundtrack, had gone full-length, flying the Saltire for Scottish design in a tartan and lace dress and matching fingerless gloves, all by Lewis-born Sandra Murray. Her £15,000 pendant had been created for the event by silver-smiths Hamilton & Inches, and featured a central amethyst within diamond-encrusted silver woven into a Celtic knot, all strung on pearls. A pair of silver Terry de Havilland platform sandals peeked out from the bottom of her dress.

Craig Ferguson opted for a tux, but didn’t hang around long enough to tell us who designed it (unlike Festival artistic director Chris Fujiwara, who explained in some detail that his dapper suit was made for him in Hong Kong by one Mr Paul, whose shop can be found on the first floor of Taipan tailors).

Robbie Coltrane cut a straightforward figure in plain blue suit paired with a goatee, his trademark Dr Martens and a walking stick.

But the most hotly awaited member of the cast was Kelly MacDonald. We were told that she would be wearing Alberta Ferretti. And a cardigan. Like a good Scots girl, she knows the value of such practical items of outerwear.

But wait. She’d changed her mind, we were told. What would she be wearing now? No-one knew. When she appeared, she almost floated down the red carpet in a billowing Diane Von Furstenberg knee-length dress in powder blue and white chiffon, bare legs (a risky choice, Kel) and sky-high black suede Chrissie Morris shoes.

Why the change of heart? She looked embarrassed, as if we might have her down as a bit of a Hollywood diva who has forgotten her humble roots. But she was just wearing it earlier in the day, she said, felt comfortable, so kept it on.

Fair enough. Nice and comfy. Low-key. It kind of summed the whole thing up really.