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FASHION SHOW

12th March 2015

CuttINg EdgE FASHION

tRAdItION & StYLE

AutHENtIC

RBS £1000 1st prize. “RBS is proud to be associated with the Greyfriars Tartan Design Competition...”

SponsorGrassmarket Community Project, a new architectural award winning events venue in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town

Hosted ByNatalie Kerr,• RBS Colin gilchrist,• Fashion BloggerMal Burkinshaw,• ECA Fashion Editor

Judges

DaviDMcLeLLan

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the Story - Designed in 2011 by a member of Grassmarket Community Project, this enterprise was the result of a life transformed and a remarkable event

the Fabric – A story of transformation depicted in a colourful,unique and engaging way

design Competition - All you need to know

the designers - Meet the talent behind tonight’s event diana Conac, Romania - Glamorous Tartan Emiah Elliott, Wales - Steel Blossoms Fiona Muirhead-Kerr, Scotland - Military Style 1&2, Flower of Greyfriar Hanin Nabilla Nurrahmani, Indonesia - Through Time Jessica-Jane Wearing, Scotland - Patron Tartan Kerri Plumtree, England - Lifting the Veil Kimberly Irvine, Scotland - Tartan Army Lauren Wakelam, England - Structured Heritage Lorraine tranter, England - Wedding dresses for those on a budget Senial Jaishani, England - Scottish Androgyny Shruti grover, India - Inno-Tartan-Vative Siobhan Mackenzie, Scotland - Greyfriars Romance Zoe MacQueen, Scotland

the Judges - The decision makers Natalie Kerr - RBS Head of Business Banking Marketing Colin gilchrist - Fashion designer, blogger and creative marketing director Mal Burkinshaw - Fashion Programme Director at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Design

Acknowledgements – Who made this happen

PROgRAMME

tHE StORY

Grassmarket Community Project is a social enterprise born from a century old partnership between Greyfriars Kirk and the Grassmarket Mission in Edinburgh. It was formed as a stand-alone charity in 2010 by the two partners, to take forward the work they had established. Transformed from a humble soup kitchen into a vibrant and inclusive community hub we reach out to disadvantaged and vulnerable people by providing a nurturing, safe place where they can attend workshops, meet others and build up their skills and confidence. Grassmarket Community Project provides shelter and structure for those who need it. It is a sanctuary, with many regular members telling us that it “feels like home”. The innovative approach taken to creating a community and providing support to members, many of whom are amongst the most vulnerable in Edinburgh, is evidenced through the mentoring, social enterprise, training and educational opportunities provided within this nurturing environment. The project develops skills which enable participants to transition and reach their full potential, often moving away from cycles of failure.

In 2011 a talented member of our weaving group took inspiration from the famous local story of Greyfriars Bobby and designed Greyfriars Tartan. In 2014 Grassmarket Community Project started a tartan textiles group where an in-house tailor equips members with the skills required to create a range of beautiful handmade products. While making the products, members are undergoing a comprehensive textiles training programme and working towards becoming more employable, as well as gaining valuable life skills such as improved communication and team work.

For Grassmarket Community Project, social enterprise is core to our sustainability as an organisation. Although our roots are in working with people who were traditionally homeless, we have realised that community has a wider definition and increasingly work with people who experience mental or physical health issues, or anyone who faces vulnerability and transition, whatever that may look like.

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Our FabricThe tartan colours represent:

Blue:• Scotland’s Saltire flag

green:• Greyfriars monks’ herb gardens – resurrected by the Grassmarket Community Project 10 years ago

Brown:• Greyfriars monks’ tunics

Purple• : Ecclesiastical celebrations and royal connections

terracotta:• Lady Yester was connected to Greyfriars Kirk and her birth village of Yester in East Lothian is celebrated for its terracotta roofs, which are rare in the UK

gold:• Inspired by the William Blake poem ‘Jerusalem’: “I give you the end of a golden string; Only wind it into a ball, It will lead you in at Heaven’s gate, Built in Jerusalem’s wall…”

tHE COMPEtItION

The Greyfriars Fashion and Design Competition opened for entrants in November 2014. It was billed as a freestyle design competition open to professional and young fashion designers, tailors and stylists, fashion design companies and other businesses in relevant industries worldwide. It was promoted over a range of online platforms targeting these specific audiences.

The idea behind the competition was to encourage designers from all over the world to re-discover, re-imagine and re-connect with tartan. It provides a fusion of contemporary and traditional ‘Scottish-ness’ within the fashion context.

The competition and fashion show has been made possible as a result of funding received from the Enterprise Ready Fund (Scottish government) to launch the Scottish manufacturing industry and social enterprise products onto an international sales platform. This fashion show is our first major step towards working with fashion designers from all over the world; expanding Scottish social enterprise into global export markets.

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dESIgNERS

Piece title: glamorous tartan@DeanaIvanoiu

Diana describes herself as being addicted to fashion and all its creations. She fell in love with fashion in high school, even though she believes that the fashion industry in Romania is not as developed as it could be. She achieved her Master’s degree in Fashion Design from The West University of Timisoara. Her greatest achievement since then is the special award she received in Japan for a fashion project competition, which was awarded by the French designer Pierre Cardin and Japanese designer Hanae Mori. She has also participated in various fashion events in Romania such as Bucharest Fashion Week, Iasi Fashion Week and Timisoara Fashion week where she launched her fashion collections.

Diana was inspired by the quality and positive colours of tartan print as well as current fashion trends. She entered this competition as she lives and expresses herself through fashion every day and believes that she has the inspiration and energy to bring out the best in herself and create an original fashion concept.

Diana’s collection includes two silk fluid dresses. She has used silk with the tartan in order to create a contrast of texture; thus becoming two creations which are designed for a woman with strong personality and style who wants to reinvent herself. Both silk and tartan are two fine, quality fabrics and are natural, precious materials. Together, Diana claims they create an artistic, sensual and feminine composition. The silk is rendered in warm pastel tones that let the tartan express and dominate the fashion composition. The tartan top of the dress is designed in classical modulated lines with a retro touch.

Piece title: Steel Blossoms@EmiahElliott

Emiah is in her second year studying Fashion Apparel Design and Construction at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David. Emiah describes herself as a creative person after studying art, graphic design and textiles in school, and she would like to work in a challenging and creative environment where she can use her artistic skills. She loves fashion design as it provides her with an opportunity to transform the human form into a work of art.

She decided to enter the Greyfriars Tartan Design Competition due to the brief, which she found to be extremely interesting. The free-style brief enabled her to fully develop her ideas and allow the creative process to run. This was her first opportunity to create a garment using only tartan and she was interested to see how she could challenge herself using a limited amount of one material while still creating an interesting garment. She also saw it as a good opportunity to step on the ladder of her fashion career. Alexander McQueen is one of her favourite designers, and he used a considerable amount of tartan in his designs, so she believes this was a good opportunity to see what designs she could create herself. She sees this as a chance to raise her profile and for her work to be showcased on an international level. The inspiration for her design came from roses and thorns. She takes her inspiration from the environment, with its details, patterns and colour palettes. The natural world is the main source of inspiration in her work.

Emiah’s design is a floor length gown. She has tried to create a modern, fresh look to the garment while using a traditional fabric. The shape of the garment hugs the body and flares out at the bottom, displaying the colours and pattern of the Greyfriars Tartan. The roses on the garment are made from the Greyfriars Tartan, and the thorns are represented by metal studs. She wanted to show a contrast between the romantic side and the more sinister, edgy side in her design, reflecting the delicate rose and the more dangerous thorn.

Piece title: Military Style 1 & 2, Flower of greyfriar @f_muirhead

Fiona graduated from Gray’s School of Art with a first class honours degree in Fine Art (Printmaking) in 2002. Then, in 2009, she completed a PGCE in Art and Design. She currently works part-time as an art teacher at Aboyne Academy and has also recently set up her own business “Ms Muirhead Millinery”. She specialises in vintage inspired fascinators and headpieces and has a love and passion for creativity and self-expression through millinery. She was a finalist in Scotland’s first wearable art competition in Dundee (October 2014).

Fiona’s inspiration comes from Scottish military millinery. Her design aim was to celebrate tartan in a contemporary and elegant way with a theme of historical millinery and Scottish culture. Fiona entered this competition to have the opportunity to be part of an exciting project, promote new talent, create something original and exciting, and be a part of a new community of creative talent.

Her first piece, Military Style 1, has an elegant, elongated and slightly pointed oval-shaped base to sit proudly on the head. The base is made from wired buckram which is covered with Greyfriars Tartan. The headpiece is adorned with folds of Greyfriars Tartan which is frayed to create dramatic height and texture. Black folded velvet has also been included to add contrast and depth to highlight the Greyfriars Tartan.

Fiona’s second piece, Flower of Greyfriar, is a large oversized corsage using Greyfriars Tartan to create the folded petals which are frayed at the edges to create a feathered texture. The oversized corsage is mounted on a wired buckram angular base which is covered in black velvet to highlight the tartan.Fiona’s third design, Military Style 2, is an elegant, oval shaped base made from a wired buckram and covered in Greyfriars Tartan. It is embellished with ostrich feather and a complimentary brooch.

dIANA CONACRomanIa

EMIAH ELLIOtt WalEs

FIONA MuIRHEAd-KERRsCoTlanD

Piece title: through time@haninnabillan

Hanin, aged just 15, is from Yogyakarta, in Indonesia, and is a pupil at Senior High School. Her hobbies are playing piano, drawing, reading, photography, listening to music and watching movies. Hanin has never studied fashion design but taught herself from reading books and searching the internet. The Greyfriars Design Competition is her second fashion design competition after previously entering the St. Andrew’s Young Designer Awards.

Hanin decided to call her design “Through Time” as, unlike other traditional patterns and fabrics, tartan has survived through the Clans Period until modern times. Previously, tartan fabric was only used by Scots but now it is used by everyone all over the world. Hanin entered the Greyfriars Tartan competition in order to challenge herself with the tartan theme and she believed it would be an excellent experience as it is a worldwide competition.

Hanin’s first design, Countess Black, is about the toughness of women. It is based on Black Agnes’ story where she refused to leave the castle, even though the army was surrounding it. The tulle on the head is also a flower crown and is likened to Black Agnes’ in one of her pictures. The jacket is white, with two black openings that can be used as pockets. The Greyfriars Tartan is included on both wrists, on the collar and the skirt. The skirt is asymmetrical with flowing ends and the inside is black. Her second design, Grey Biby, is based on Greyfriars Bobby. At the shoulder is white fur. From the fur hangs the tartan which is tied at the waistline using a white band. The front side of the body is covered by a u-lined neck dark grey tank top. The skirt is also Greyfriars Tartan. Above the half thigh, the tartan is puffed and below that it is loose, touching the ground. The designs represents the idea that tartan can be worn by everyone, not just Scots.

Piece title: Patron tartan@J-JDesigns

Jessica-Jane is currently studying fashion at Heriot-Watt University. At 18 years old, she describes herself as young and innovative and as someone who tries to look at everything with an open mind. Jessica-Jane grew up and became determined and self-disciplined which led to her knowing what she wanted to do from a young age. Jessica-Jane always uses organic fashion in some form within her work. Whether it is in the form of shapes, prints, moods, colours or a starting/finishing point, organic fashion will be linked in, even though sometimes it is not obvious to the eye.

Jessica-Jane is a country girl at heart, and this is where she gets her inspiration from. Her designs for this competition were influenced by combining classic tailoring with high fashion from spring/summer 2015. Entering this competition has allowed her the ability to discover her own creative capabilities while still understanding the commercial aspect of the design process and the use of a tartan.

Her collection involves cropped and layered panels of tartan and cotton fabrics. The high waists and swathes of fabrics pieces together in an almost patchwork fashion to create a twist on a traditional style, and classic collars and cuffs are combined with a modern body. Abstracted and curiously cut hemlines are finished off with topstitching in a contrasting colour, with a colour palette extracted from the tartan to pull the collection together. The collection features bold cuts and cropped lengths, creating a new fitted silhouette. This was created through dart manipulation and featuring panels and shapes in different directions to create the same fitted silhouette. The attachments within the designs are kept to the original theme of classic, similar to the inspiration of colours from the tartan. Jessica-Jane chose to use the tartan in an angled way as it followed suit with the angular shapes used within the collection, and was originally inspired by a more graphic and modern take on the leaves, developed from the green within the tartan. The theme within the collection was classic originality with a modern twist, giving designs that were inspired by the past a present outlook within a high fashion couture collection.

Piece title: Lifting the Veil@Billiemunk13

Kerri is a part time undergraduate studying fashion at the University of Lincoln. She currently spends her time volunteering on university open days, meeting and greeting prospective students and telling them all about the fashion course. She is also a regular contributor to MyStudentStyle.com, writing weekly articles.

Kerri’s two favourite designers, Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen have both worked with tartan in fun and exciting ways and she wanted to set herself a challenge to create something as beautiful as their work. Showing her work in a public arena and gaining publicity and recognition also made her excited about the competition.

Kerri’s design has been adapted for the Greyfriars Tartan competition from a collection she designed which was inspired by metaphysics and noetic science. The collection was an examination of consciousness and collective intelligence. She chose to adapt this collection for the tartan project due to the heritage and tradition of tartan which ties into the whole concept of unity, identity and belonging.

Kerri’s design is a sleeveless dress with a high structured collar that runs over the shoulder and down the back. The dress has a panelled front and fullness added into the skirt, with godets giving a luxurious drape and plenty of movement, and is longer at the back than at the front. The dress is fully lined with an exposed zip at the back and is accessorised with a tartan flat cap, also lined and hand finished. The contrasting colours in this design pick up the accent colours within the Greyfriars Tartan. Kerri has tried to create a design for country folk and city dwellers alike. A dress that can be rocked with a killer pair of heels or wellies!

HANIN NABILLA NuRRAHMANI InDonEsIa

JESSICA-JANE WEARINg sCoTlanD

KERRI PLuMtREE EnglanD

dESIgNERS

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Piece title: tartan Army@kim_irvine

Kimberly is in her final year studying fashion technology at Cardonald College in Glasgow. After she completes her studies her dream is to attend Heriot-Watt University’s fashion campus. She spends most of her spare time making garments for herself, friends and family, which has also gained her other customers and resulted in people becoming familiar with her work. Kimberly is willing to do whatever it takes to make it in the fashion industry as it has been a dream of hers since a young age.

Kimberly’s designs were inspired by Alexander McQueen, as she believes he made tartan look edgy, taking it far from anything it would have been traditionally used for. One piece that also inspired one of her designs is a puffball dress that she saw on various celebrities, but that was worn in different ways. Kimberley entered this competition as she was drawn to the name ‘Greyfriars’; as a child, Greyfriars Bobby was one of her favourite stories. She was also excited that the designs would be involving tartan as it is one of her favourite fabrics. Kimberley enjoys using tartan to create innovative and ‘out of the box’ designs, instead of using it for more traditional garments.

Kimberly’s first dress encompasses a puffball style skirt with two plunging necklines, cup top halves that continue over the back and attach at the waist. The top has a black tulle overlay over the tartan. Under the skirt are layers of black tulle which hang slightly longer than the tartan so they can be seen.

The second dress has the same top half as the first, but the fitted, panelled skirt has an empire line with two front splits.

Piece title: Structured Heritage

Lauren is an undergraduate student in the final year of her Honours degree in fashion studies at the University of Derby. While at university, she has gained many skills including pattern cutting, manufacturing, CAD design, illustration and print. She has recently worked two internships with George at ASDA and New Look. Whilst working for these companies she gained various skills as well as having the opportunity of working within the fashion industry and exploring how both companies work. Fashion is her main interest as she feels that it continuously develops and, for Lauren, it demonstrates the statement of empowerment that fashion has on the world.

Lauren was inspired by Scottish heritage and culture. She expanded her research into these two areas and found great inspiration from the use of tartan, architectural heritage and transport from the 20th century. These have influenced her designs, leading to these elements being translated into her designs in order to focus upon attention to detail.

Lauren entered this competition as she enjoys using new materials and being able to produce unique, interesting garment designs - with the Greyfriars Tartan as the main design element - has become a great interest of hers.

Lauren’s collection consists of four autumn/winter outfits. Each outfit includes a wide variety of detail which has been inspired by the Scottish culture and traditions. The first outfit consists of a sleeveless top, including panelling and layering of material, and straight leg trousers with pocket detail. The second outfit will include a panelled shirt with a fitted pencil skirt. The third outfit consists of a sleeveless dress, including panelling, and the fourth outfit includes an off-the-shoulder dress with centre panelling plus an oversized coat which could be worn with either outfit. Panelling and layering of materials are the main two elements within this collection, along with the use of Greyfriars Tartan. The colour palette is linked with the colours within the tartan material.

Piece title: Wedding dresses for those on a budget

After leaving school at 16, Lorraine worked in a factory producing uniforms for the military. After returning to education, she achieved her Master’s Degree in Art and Design. She then set up her own business, where she carries out restoration work on military uniforms, clothing dating from the Victorian period, and modern-day repairs, while also making wedding dresses. Her mother taught her how to knit and sew as a child and Lorraine has been making and designing clothes for herself ever since.

Lorraine found inspiration for her designs while watching a programme on Queen Victoria, whose dresses were often made using tartan. Her collection is for people who are having to cut back on costs, but still want something special for their big day. Lorraine entered this competition as she has previously used woollen tartan and found it to be a difficult material to work with. The tartan has given her inspiration to make complicated designs that need all of her concentration so that the pattern matches without wasting material.

Wedding dress 1 has a long, plain white underdress which is fitted at the waist. The tartan train is removable and has a large bow and wide strap over the shoulder that wraps across the chest and under the arm. The bow is sewn to the train and fitted in place with press-studs to stop it sliding out of place.

Wedding dress 2 has a fitted, boned tartan bodice and a three quarter wide overskirt that leaves a third of the front open, showing a white, lightweight underdress. The design has a wide, tartan shawl which sits just over the shoulder and is gathered with three pieces of Scottish Heather.

Wedding dress 3 is a simple 1950s style with a tartan waist coat, trimmings around the sleeves, and inserts of tartan pleats. A petticoat of net under the skirt is a matching colour taken from the Greyfriars Tartan to help the skirt stand out.

KIMBERLY IRVINEsCoTlanD

LAuREN WAKELAM EnglanD

LORRAINE tRANtER EnglanD

Piece title: Scottish Androgyny@senialJaisani

Senial is currently studying a Masters in Fashion Design at the University of Southampton and enjoys studying art and design. Originally from India, Senial loves Indian craft and tries to incorporate her learning from previous experiences into all of her designs.

After recently moving to the UK, Senial visited Scotland and researched the tweeds and tartans found here. Senial’s research project for the university is also tartan and she plans on incorporating the Greyfriars Tartan into this project.

Senial was inspired by the new romanticism movement that started in the early 1980s. During this movement, both sexes often dressed in counter-sexual or androgynous clothing. The androgynous influence from the movement is incorporated in Senial’s design, as well as taking the kilt from the Scottish influence as one of the inspirations for her design. The pleated techniques of the kilt create a romanticised feel and are used to manipulate the different sections of the colour blocks in the Greyfriars Tartan. She describes her designs as simple and sleek.

Piece title: Inno-tartan-Vative@grovershruti

Shruti is an undergraduate in her final year studying fashion design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in India. Shruti loves to experiment with new fabrics and that is what her graduation collection is going to be about. She is extremely passionate about her work and wants to get into the fashion industry as soon as possible. She loves experimenting and exploring with new fabrics and dyeing techniques, surface developments or treatments on fabrics. Shruti was inspired by the conventionality of the fabric, which made her want to design non-conventional pieces with it. She entered the competition because of the Greyfriars Tartan itself as she believes that tartan is a legacy. She describes it as an intriguing fabric with so much history attached to it, and she also thought it would be a fun project to work on. Shruti enjoyed learning about the fabric and experimenting with it as she has never had the chance to do that with tartan before; this is one of the things that excited her most about the competition. She describes tartan as an almost alien like concept to an Indian girl like her, who hardly gets to see it in stores in India and has never worn it. When she heard about the Greyfriars Design Competition and researched more about the tartan, she thought it would be a great opportunity to experiment and come up with something new, while working with an authentic tartan from Scotland.

Shruti has experimented with the tartan by reflecting it under organza and cut-out leather, using it with a completely green fashion garment, and through creating romanticism by placing hand printed vintage rose prints on the tartan. In one garment she has tried to put the tartan in under a ‘shadow’ to create a transparency effect under organza, in a totally structured jumpsuit. In another look, she has tried to incorporate softness and femininity by painting abstract roses on the tartan. The whole look consists of an LBD with hand painted roses, paired with a loose jacket to suggest a romantic peek-a-boo of tartan and roses. She has tried to be innovative through combining machine work and hand work to create something new out of the tartan, which to her is what the competition was all about.

Piece title: greyfriars Romance@macsiobhan

Siobhan is a First Class BA Honours Fashion Design and Production graduate. Born and raised in the Highlands of Scotland, she used her Highland roots and her clan, Mackenzie, as the inspiration for her Graduate Collection where she designed and manufactured five full dress contemporary kilt outfits and one woman’s statement tartan gown. This led her to winning the ‘Lectra Kaledo Style’ award. She then undertook a six month internship at Glenisla Kilts where she learnt the art of bespoke kilt making. After graduating, she started her own business in bespoke and contemporary kilts. Her current collection has been showcased at The Royal Highland Show 2014 and will also feature in the next Dressed to Kilt fashion show in New York. Siobhan’s design combines the Greyfriars Tartan with unconventional romantic fabrics such as lace and velvet. For the ladies’ designs, she has opted for fitted, feminine and elegant styles whilst incorporating her trademark tailoring and contrast kilt elements into the designs. For the gent’s designs, she has again used her trademark contrast pleat elements and replicated the Scottish saltire with tartan on the backs of the kilt pleats.

Her inspiration began with analysing the Greyfriars Tartan and researching how she could create a distinctive collection of designs incorporating it. She began fabric investigations and was inspired by the use of combining textures with the tartan, which led her to incorporate lace and velvet into the designs. Siobhan is inspired by pushing the boundaries and using lace within the male designs which creates an unconventional approach. As Siobhan’s company specialises in contemporary kilts, her aim and passion is to use tartan in non-conventional ways and move it forward into the 21st century. Entering this competition meant she would have a platform to show off her designs and the concept behind her brand; which is her enthusiasm for keeping Scottish heritage alive and progressing within the fashion world.

SENIAL JAISHANI EnglanD

SHRutI gROVER InDIa

SIOBHAN MACKENZIE sCoTlanD

dESIgNERS

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@macQueenZoe

Zoe is currently studying a six month course in fashion design and pattern construction at the Jacqui Burke Fashion School in Dunbar. Her interest in fashion, design and sewing began when she studied fabric and fashion at grammar school. After leaving school she purchased her own sewing machine and made clothes for herself and her two children.

Zoe’s inspiration came from Mary Queen of Scots and the dresses of the time. As Mary Queen of Scots is one of Scotland’s most famous royals, and someone who spent a great deal of time at Edinburgh Castle, Zoe looked at a variety of gowns from that time period. She wanted to modernise the style of dress found in Stewart/Tudor times while keeping elements of the gowns that inspired her design. She also wanted to use the tartan in a new and creative way that enhanced both the dress and the tartan, and which used the tartan to its full potential. Having looked into the Greyfriars Tartan and why it was created, Zoe was excited about being able to use fashion as a way to help others. She also wanted to challenge herself to do something new and creative, while testing her skills and finding out what other people think of her designs.

Zoe’s design is a dress which comes to just above the knee. The bottom of the dress is a full circle skirt with a tulle underskirt. The skirt is primarily tartan with a godet at the front in blue silk which matches the blue colour in the tartan. The skirt has a red lace trim around the bottom, along the edges of the godet, and along the bottom of the top half of the dress. The top of the dress is a fitted corset, made of tartan and boned with a satin lining. Attached to the corset is a blue silk piece which fills in from the bust to the shoulders, with a slight plunge in the neckline to match the shape of the corset. This is made from the same material as the godet in the skirt. The back of the dress is laced together with red and green ribbon to match the colours of the tartan. The dress has tartan sleeves with an asymmetric red lace cuff.

ZOE MACQuEEN sCoTlanD

ROYAL BANK OF SCOtLANd: JudgE ANd 1St PRIZE SPONSOR naTalIE KERR, RBs HEaD of BusInEss BanKIng maRKETIng

Natalie has over 15 years brand and marketing experience ranging from new product launches and brand strategy to practical channel management. Since 2007 she has worked within small business marketing driving the small business and entrepreneurial agenda for Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest. A graduate of Strathclyde University, specialising in Small Business Marketing and Entrepreneurship, Natalie is an evangelist of the life blood role small businesses play as the backbone of the UK economy, and the supporting role that larger organisations and banks must play. As part of her leadership commitments, Natalie formally mentors small business owners who are part of the Scottish EDGE Fund, an RBS-founded and supported initiative, as part of the Scottish Government #ScotlandCanDo mission statement, which encourages small business growth. She also works closely with the RBS early stage and growing venture partner, Entrepreneurial Spark, as well as providing skills-based volunteering to local small businesses on an adhoc basis. Natalie says: “I am a big supporter of locally-based community projects like the Grassmarket Community Project and their Greyfriars Tartan enterprise that help foster and encourage new skills and confidence. I firmly believe that new business and ventures that come from grass roots levels like this have the opportunity to make the biggest difference to the areas we live and grow up in. It can be contagious and inspire future entrepreneurs and ideas for generations to come.”

Natalie is looking forward to her tartan design judging role, saying: “I am interested in the spark that has inspired the designers, what has motivated them, and what they have drawn on to develop their designs. Tartan production is a traditional industry steeped in history and I will be interested in their thought processes to how a new approach can be taken to this market.”

JudgES

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ColIn gIlCHRIsT, fasHIon DEsIgnER, BloggER anD CREaTIvE maRKETIng DIRECToR

A talented fashion designer and blogger, Colin Gilchrist is a well-known name on the Scottish fashion scene. A former buyer working with Valentino, Paul Smith and Calvin Klein, Colin started his fashion career selling his own designs on a shared stall in Camden Market in the 1980s. Later he went on to choose stock for the Scottish Burberry stores.

Colin then became an expert in digital marketing, specialising in creating brands and setting up spin-out companies in software and film production. His experience took him to Las Vegas where he spent time with fashion website Zappos.com, and was asked to become the face of Spencer Clothing.

In 2009, Colin set up fashion blog Social Tailor which by the following year had developed into a full-blown marketing agency. In 2013, Colin set up the “Scottish Fashion Bloggers” community @ScotFashionBlog plus a facebook page and website to better support the fashion industry and its bloggers in Scotland.

Colin says: “I am delighted to be part of the Greyfriars Tartan Fashion Show; I will forever support the Scottish fashion industry and those passionate about making Scotland an inspiring place to live, work and play. The Grassmarket Community Project is a great example of this ethos.”

mal BuRKInsHaW, fasHIon PRogRammE DIRECToR aT THE unIvERsITy of EDInBuRgH’s sCHool of DEsIgn

In addition to his role as Programme Director for Fashion at Edinburgh College of Art, Mal Burkinshaw is an External Examiner at the London College of Fashion and the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. Himself an Edinburgh College of Art graduate (1993-1997), Mal gained a first class degree in fashion womenswear before studying at MA level at The Royal College of Art. After graduation, Mal worked in Italy as designer for United Colours of Benetton, and then as a freelance designer.

Mal is currently exploring and challenging the relationship between fashion design and body image. Recognising the unhealthy representations of beauty, size and youth endorsed by the fashion industry, he is developing innovative methods of design and research celebrating the end context of design as part of the research and design process.

Mal has also developed collaborations with the Scottish National Galleries and created the Edinburgh College of Art and All Walks Beyond the Catwalk Diversity Network, launched in 2011 by fashion expert Caryn Franklin. This project sees Edinburgh College of Art lead a new wave of thinking about diversity of body and beauty within fashion education, addressing customer self-esteem and more ‘emotionally considerate’ design methods.

ACKNOWLEdgEMENtS

Greyfriars Tartan would like to thank all those who have given their time. Without their enthusiasm, support, skills and knowledge tonight would not have been possible.

Thanks tothe designers for submitting their designs, many of them travelling from far and wide to be at the event

Katerina Faulds, Nina Falk and the grassmarket Community Project staff

Our members in the Greyfriars Tartan textile team: Mikey, Carolanne, Agnes, Jenny, Caroline, Anne- Marie, Shazia, Evelyn, Billy and Sherin – who this is ultimately all about

The stunning models, their hard working dressers and make-up artists without whom the designs would not be shown so perfectly www.emilymillarmakeup.com

Catherine Jones, Steven Lugiai and the hospitality team

greyfriars Kirk and the gCP Board for their guidance and support throughout the journey

Local retailers who have freely donated prizes for the Raffle; Out of Hand, Helios Fountain, Mr Wood’s Fossils, Mammas, the Beehive Inn, Hawico, graze, Purple glamour, Fabhatrix, Scotch Whisky Experience, MYAdventure and Apex Hotels

Barr and tunnocks for their kind donation of products towards the refreshments

The wonderful Fiona, Samantha and Stacey at Nicheworks PR Ltd for all their hard work and public relations support in promoting this event and marketing Greyfriars Tartan

Steve turner from Scottish Development International for his enormous support, encouragement and advice

Alan Simpson for event photography, alansimpson1@yahoo.co.uk

Hello Jo for the programme design, www.hello-jo.co.uk

destiny Productions for all lighting and sound

Steven Herd for DJ-ing

Pipe Major Iain grant

Roslynn Learmont for assisting with the production of canapés

Raff le prizes donated by:

Donation in kind:

15

+44 (0)131 225 3626 www.grassmarkettartans.co.uk Twitter: @GreyfriarTartan FB: Greyfriars Tartan

katerina@grassmarket.org

nina@grassmarket.org

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Grassmarket Community Project is a registered company in Scotland limited by guarantee – No 368576 Reg Charity No: SC041674