Scotland's style awards set to return to Glasgow

Now the countdown is underway for the return of Scotland’s style Oscars to one of Glasgow’s most iconic attractions next month.

Outlander star Sam Heughan, Young Fathers rapper Kayus Bankole and the artist and playwright John Byrne will be competing for the most stylish male honour at the Scottish Style Awards.

Rising singing star Charlotte Brimner, ground-breaking visual artist and filmmaker Rachel Maclean and Chloe Pirrie, a young actress who has recently starred in The Crown and War & Peace are all in contention to be named most stylish female.

Musician Kayus Bankole performs onstage during day 3 of the 2016 Coachella

The event, billed as “a celebration of style and creativity in their broadest sense,” will be held for the first time in three years when it transforms the main hall of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on 31 March.

An arts centre on the Isle of Harris and a restored barn in Perthshire will compete to be named Scotland’s most stylish venue, along with two Dundee venues, the DCA and Verdant Works, and Barras Art and Design, a fashionable new events space created at the historic Barrowland market in Glasgow. The creators of the North Coast 500 campaign, Jackie Wylie, the new artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland, and Hoskins Architects, who are leading plans to turn the former Royal High School in Edinburgh into a luxury hotel are in the running to be named “tastemaker of the year.”

Next month’s event will feature a Harris Tweed Hebrides fashion show celebrating the tenth anniversary of the leading UK producer of the fabric and a lifetime achievement award for Glasgow hotelier Ken McCulloch, founder of One Devonshire Gardens.

Vivienne Westwood, Victoria Beckham, Dolce & Gabbana, Versus Versace and Gucci will also be among the big fashion names showcasing new designs at the event, which will be hosted by actress Pollyanna McIntosh.

Other nominees for the most stylish male category, along with Heughan, Bankole and Byrne, include Aldo Kane, a former Royal Marine Commando turned adventurer and TV presenter, lifestyle and fashion blogger John Robertson, and artist and designer Philip Colbert.

Competing against Brimner, Pirrie and Maclean for the most stylish female crown will be the actress and model Eunice Olumide, fashion blogger Emily Shakarji and Christina Jansen, managing director of the 19th century Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh.

Robert Carlyle, James McAvoy and Paolo Nutini have been among the previous winners of the most stylish male honour while the prize for most stylish female has gone to the likes of Shirley Manson, Katie Leung and Lauren Tempany.

Awards founder Mary McGowne said: “Established as the nation’s foremost celebration of creative endeavour, the Scottish Style Awards salute inspirational individuals and enterprises that enrich society through their distinguished activities in the arts and popular culture.

“We’re thrilled to be returning this year’s Scottish Style Awards to Glasgow, presented in celebration with Moët & Chandon and a host of prestigious partners.”

Mark Hogarth, creative director, Harris Tweed Hebrides, said: “Since the company’s formation in 2008, a small but dedicated team have worked tirelessly in establishing the industry as a sustainable commercial entity and successful brand. The evolution of the company is ongoing and many new opportunities and partnerships continue to be explored.

“In our tenth anniversary year we’re delighted to initiate the celebration of our collective achievements thus far and there is no finer stage on which to do this than the Scottish Style Awards.”

McIntosh said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be hosting this year’s Scottish Style Awards, an incredible celebration of the very best of all things cool and creative.”

Izzy Cameron, regional sales manager for Moët & Chandon, the event’s main backer, said: “Moët is delighted to remain headline partner of the Scottish Style Awards.

“Joining the Award’s annual toast to talent within Scottish style is an important part of our year-round global commitment to supporting arts and culture.”