The Scottish fashion industry

Scots are among the biggest names in the world fashion industry, Scottish fabrics such as traditional tartan, tweeds, knitwear and contemporary designs are in constant demand by international designers and retail houses. But majority of well-known designers work away from home and the textile industry employs less people than ever.

The designer behind legendary fashion house Escada is a Scot, Brian Rennie, from Dundee. Scottish designer Graeme Black is creative director of Salvatore Ferregamo in Milan, and four-time winner of the New Generation Award, Jonathan Saunders works in London.

Graeme Black, after graduating in fashion at Edinburgh University moved to London and then Milan. He says: “Designers may move from Scotland to London, Paris, New York, Milan or even Tokyo but they are eventually successful thanks to what they have learned here in Scotland. When you look at the designs coming from Scotland – the cut, the shape, the form, the materials used – you can tell they have been inspired by Scotland.”

He said: “Scotland really has the best textiles industry in the world. When I was working at Armani, we would regularly look to the Scottish textile companies for their high quality Linton Tweed.”

Malcolm Birkinshaw, the lecturer at Edinburgh College of Art and designer, said: “The Scottish fashion industry is at a desperate time. More knitwear mills are cutting jobs; there are no manufacturers that can produce the level required for designers to sell internationally. And the support for Scottish designers to take their work to trade shows virtually is non-existent.”

Malcolm Birkinshaw says: “The Scottish Textile Network only offers part-founding for trade shows, which still leaves designers with a mighty bill. For designers like myself, who are trying to sell internationally there is no support.”

He says that a true fashion festival should be a week of promotion for Scotland-based designers. This could create jobs for former students of our colleges, which in turn would create manufacturing to revitalise the Scottish fashion industry.

But Edinburgh’s new fashion festival has been shelved after just one year because of major funding problems. Last year's event was launched without a major sponsor in place and almost £500,000 of public funding was spent to get it off the ground. But this year, the city council has refused to bail out the festival, which attracted world-renowned designers, Matthew Williamson and Jonathan Saunders.

Ian Broadfoot, City Centre Manager, Edinburgh City Centre Management Company says: “The decision has reluctantly been taken not to hold the event in 2007.” To establish the Festival on the city’s event calendar require substantial private sector investment, which has not been forthcoming to date.

Organizers had hoped to expand the event after attracting sell-out crowds and backing from top designers including Vivienne Westwood to the first festival. Also city centre clothes stores hailed the first event a huge success after they saw sales soar during the four-days it ran. But they have been forced to pull the plug on this year's event after failing to attract enough private-sector backing.

Malcolm Birkinshaw says:” With news of a Glasgow initiative to found six Glasgow-based or trained designers to show at London Fashion Week, it seems obvious how wrong Edinburgh has got it.”

But despite the Edinburgh Fashion Festival being cancelled, The Scottish Fashion Awards event again will attract numerous fashion lovers and creators. The organizers say that the SFA was established to celebrate our home-grown talent and encourage more of the same. Malcolm Birkinshaw, says: “The fashion Awards are great for Scotland, as it simply highlight some of the biggest names in fashion today are Scots.”

He says: “There are many talented Scottish designers like Malandleigh, Beca Lipscombe, Claire Ferguson, Cameron Taylor, or Chistopher and Totty Rocks, who are delighted to take part in such an event.” In September last year, Totty Rocks was nominated alongside Jonathan Saunders, John Rae (Gucci) and Graeme Black (Ferragamo) as Scottish Designer of the year at the Scottish Style Awards in The Tramway, Glasgow.

Lyndsey Miller, one of the founders of Totty Rocks label, said: “To take part in that event was a pure pleasure, to be named the Scottish Designer of the Year, was a great surprise.”

Holly Campbell and Lynsey Miller, graduated from Edinburgh Collage of Art six years ago and, after serving stints in London design studios, decided to go back home and opened their own shop. This is how Totty Rock label was founded. They say their style is fresh, young, and energetic a mix of print and tailoring.

Lynsey says: “Inspiration to us is a constant process. We are inspired by people, culture, and anything around us. We draw ideas from exciting vintage and second hand garments. We always try to be original, combine fine fabrics and wools. It is all about energetic look for every season.”

Before setting up Totty Rocks, Holly designed her own name collections, sold in Corniche (Edinburgh), and was a freelance designer for fashion and knitwear labels in London, such as N.Peal, Shirin Cashmere, Lachlan Munro and Panepinto in Milan. Lynsey worked for Haxton Boutique in London, designing and was a stylist working on shoots for i-D, the Guardian and others. Holy says: “Working in London and Milan was really great experience, the experience I wanted to bring home.”

They believe that the Edinburgh College of Art is one of the best schools for designers in the country. Holly said: “The teachers were working artists themselves. Their drawing skills were exceptional and with the studios overlooking the castle we couldn’t dream of better place to be as aspiring designers.” She says: “There is so mush inspiration in Scotland. If you are looking for vintage clothing there is no better place than Glasgow, not even London.”

Totty Rocks successfully join fashion and good cause. Holy says: “We are trying to support local charity initiatives.” Totty Rocks show their clothes on the Mission in Action annual dinners to help rise money for children from orphanage in Nakuru, Kenya.

Holy says: “We can see our future here in Scotland, but there is a lot that needs to be done to promote and support the Scottish Fashion and Textiles industry, this is the only way to encourage young designers to stay in Scotland.”

James Sugden, chairman of STMA, says: “There are nearly 450 companies in the Scottish textiles industry employing around 18,000 people and with a combined turnover of £1.084m.” But only 26% of companies sell internationally, textile exports are estimated at £390m.”

Sugden, says: “The textiles industry in Scotland has moved a long way from the 1970s and 1980s. Investment in technology means that a mill is now a quiet, high tech environment, while an emphasis on design has meant that Scottish companies are working in specific niche and luxury markets and supplying some of the world's leading couture houses as well as developing already well known Scottish brands.

Developed by the industry, in partnership with both trade unions and Scottish Enterprise's Scottish Textiles team, the strategy outlines a clear route for the textiles sector to increase the contribution it makes to the Scottish economy, by raising the proportion of bigger companies operating in the sector, investing more in research and development and building globally recognised brands.