Splinter fears as furniture maker unveils first wooden kilt

The risk of splinters posed by the world's first wooden kilt, set to make its debut at New York's Dressed to Kilt fashion show next week, is enough to make any man wince.

The unique garment has been created by furniture designer turned kiltmaker Anselm Fraser.

Mr Fraser, 52, is the founder and principal of The Chippendale International School of Furniture in Gifford, East Lothian, and has 25 years' experience in the woodworking and furniture making industry.

He admitted that he always wanted to turn his hand to designing clothes, however, and when he was told about the New York fashion event, he decided it was the perfect opportunity.

Over the past ten weeks he has worked non-stop on his creation, combining carefully crafted wooden slats with rough hessian material to create and refine the wooden kilt.

He recently showed off the finished design to stunned residents in Venice and said the response had been "fantastic".

"I am really proud of the kilt, and I think it's beautiful," he said. "Wood catches the light in such an incredible way, and I hope this might inspire more people to use it in clothes.

"I opted for a kilt as I just felt it needed something new. It has taken a lot of work – the first few attempts really didn't work at all, and the sporran was very difficult to get right, but now it hangs and swings just like a real kilt."

Mr Fraser did, however, admit the design needed a few improvements. "Walking around in it in Venice was an amazing experience, although I have to admit sitting down was quite tricky and not very comfortable, so I think I shall have to work on that and maybe put a cushion at the back."

The wooden kilt will get its official world premiere at the Dressed to Kilt fashion show, which takes place at the beginning of Tartan Week on Monday night at The Mansion, on New York's West 28th Street.

The event attracts celebrities from both sides of the Atlantic who take to the catwalks for charity. Mr Fraser's wooden kilt is one of the star attractions at the show, although Howie Nicholsby – who raised eyebrows at a previous Dressed to Kilt show with his own transparent pink design and has created kilts for stars like KT Tunstall and Robbie Williams – was not convinced it would catch on.

"It's always great when someone comes up with something really unusual and creative," he said.

"Unfortunately (the wooden kilt] has not got any sort of actual pleating, thus it can't technically be called any type of kilt. The word kilt means to tuck or pleat, from the Danish origin 'kilte'. I don't think the wooden kilt would be legal without undies, and it does seem a bit exposed from the rear.

"However, I think it will be great for Dressed to Kilt. It's conceptual, so you never know what may come out of its idea."