The SARI Kilt

This kilt was created from a 30yr old piece of sari silk that had previously been worn many and various ways. Its final incarnation is this handstitched kilt merging the Nigerian heritage of its owner (expressed in the handwoven cotton strip cloth and adire lining), with Italian silks and Scottish wool. An internal zipped pocket, custom cranberry leather straps and annealed brass buckles complete the piece.

The EDWARDS Kilt

This kilt is the graduation gift to my daughter, a joyful Kinguissie pleat with decorative 1940s lucite buckles, made to mark the moment in City of Glasgow Old & Rare tartan and lined with a custom handprinted cotton to remind her of the word she used to shout when she was excited— aged 3.

The IV36 O’BRIEN Kilt

This kilt has been remade from a wedding dress. A double breasted frock coat created from handwoven silk and lined with a shocking pink was worn twenty years previously had remained unworn since, though the extraordinary quality of the cloth remained much loved. After commissioning a tweed kilt from me initially that has become a wardrobe staple it was decided that this would become a second kilt for evening occasions. The coat is deconstructed and refolded to form the aprons and several pleats, keeping the integrity of the original garment. The remaining kilt length is created by supplementing a silk-wool vintage tweed and several remnant sections of furnishing fabrics sourced from a local supplier.

The BUMBLE Kilt

An affectionate name for this experimental construction made using multiple remnant sections of two designer deadstock cloths. The plaid was originally woven for Balenciaga in Italy, a merino wool twill that was only available as several small lengths. As necessity is the mother of invention so this design is dictated by the resourceful use of each length, carefully joined together and supplemented with end-of-roll cashmere velour from Johnstons of Elgin. The strong twill direction is highlighted by flipping the faces of the cloth to create centre front and centre back chevrons, which are enhanced by a Kinguissie pleating formation, monochrome striped insertion piping and a unique split front apron that allows the plain cashmere under-apron to show through. This kilt has been aquisitioned by the National Museum of Scotland for the Highland Dress collection.

ACME ATELIER X OLD STONE TRADE

THE TILDA KILT

This kilt is the second collaboration with New York stylist Melissa Ventosa Martin, as part of her collection of modern heirlooms at Old Stone Trade. These timeless classics of enduring quality and style are considered pieces produced by small scale artisans across the globe.

The Tilda kilt uses cloth created by the social enterprise from South-East England, Romney Tweed, who are revitalising wool production on the marshes where Romney sheep have roamed for centuries. This striking deep black tweed with yellow overcheck refers to Prospect Cottage, home of the late film maker Derek Jarman who transformed this fishermans hut into a retreat and sculpture garden.

The kilt is made to order exclusively through Old Stone Trade in a very limited number with customised finishing details. The Newchurch Kilt can also be commissioned using Romney Tweed with a matching bespoke blazer by J.Mueser.

The IV36 KOREAN Kilt

Created as part of the IV36 Initiative this quality pleated wool skirt was donated locally and remade with kilt style signatures, now living a new lease of life in Sth. Korea.

The STILL GARDEN Kilt

Designed and made for garden designer Jane Porter, to record the plants in her gold award winning show garden; The Still Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022.

Both the garden and the kilt showcase heritage crafts on the Heritage Crafts Association endangered list, highlighting the need to preserve our intangible cultural heritage for future generations.

Beginning by studying each plant in sketches, this kilt brings my printmaking, kiltmaking and bespoke leatherwork together using heavyweight upholstery linen, woven at The Isle Mill in Moray. The bespoke textile is handprinted using a mix of block printing, and handcut stencil silkscreen printing, each describing the flowers, stems and stamen details of Angelica Sylvestris and Alchemilla Mollis. On the inside my silk painting brings to life the bright centres of Anemone Honorine Jobert.

This contemporary mix of wide, but deep box and knife pleats is a variant of an historic Kinguissie form, in an elegant longer length. Handstitched in the traditional method, this design is also used in The Chelsea Kilt; a mid length option made in Scottish wool with a double box to the centre back with a fringed and feathered hem detail.

Image of Jane Porter and Andrea Chappell in the Still Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show by Ellen Wilkinson

The CHELSEA Kilt

This kilt is made in a special weave Scottish wool woven by House of Edgar and designed in conjunction with The Still Garden Kilt, to highlight heritage crafts at The Chelsea Flower Show 2022 as part of a Scottish inspired show garden designed by Jane Porter. Both kilts share the same handpainted silk lining that refers to the anemones in Janes scheme, with this one featuring a double, or stacked box in the centre back with wide box pleats either side. Vintage bakerlite buckles and bespoke leatherwork tone with the peach yarn forming the fringed hem which is backed with layers of feathers.

Images of Jane Porter and Andrea Chappell in the Still Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show by Ellen Wilkinson

ACME ATELIER X OLD STONE TRADE

THE NEWCHURCH KILT

This kilt is part of a collection of modern heirlooms created by Melissa Ventosa Martin under the name Old Stone Trade. Her tasteful and considered pieces are produced by small scale artisans across the globe. Each item is a timeless classic of enduring quality and style, created by pairing selected makers with selected materials. In my case, the social enterprise from South-East England, Romney Tweed, who are revitalising wool production on the marshes where Romney sheep have roamed for centuries.
The kilt is made to order exclusively through Old Stone Trade in a very limited number in a variety of styles and finishing details, where it can also be commissioned with a matching bespoke blazer by J.Mueser.

Images by Jai Odell / Gallery image by Maxime Poiblanc

The TRUJILLO TARTAN

This special weave is a bespoke tartan that celebrates the combined Scots and Colombian heritage of a family, on the occasion of their sons graduation. Designed by me and woven by the House of Edgar at my local mill here in Moray, the cloth mixes colours found in Scottish glens and Colombian coffee plantations with a signature yellow over check that refers to the Colombian flag.
The tartan has a customised selvedge, woven as a herringbone twill to highlight particular colours within the sett, which itself has been constructed to replicate the beats of a salsa dance — a unseen detail that acknowledges the passion of the father who commissioned this cloth.
Firstly, two kilts for father and son are in the making to begin bringing those beats to life …

Please get in touch if you wish to create your own bespoke tartan. I design the cloth, manage the weaving process with the mill, register your tartan with the National Archive and create your bespoke kilts and accessories. The minimum order is 11m of cloth plus 2 kilts.

The CLAVIE KING’S Kilt

This ceremonial kilt embodies an ancient local custom in my region; The Burning of the Clavie, a barrel burning festival heralding the new year and bestowing health and prosperity to the fishing community of Burghead. Fire festivals have been common along our north east coast since Pictish times, though this one has had a particular story since 1752, when the Julian calendar was swapped to the Gregorian, omitting eleven days in the process.

Embodied in this kilt of eleven double box pleats are these missing moments in time, as each pleat has been calculated to capture twenty four hours in their folds. The kilt records the night sky above Burghead on each of the missing days using the constellations the fishermen would have used to navigate their way to the Baltic, embroidered onto this fireproof wool with yarn spun from the Clavie kings own flock by Amy Neville at Naturally Useful. On these trips barrels of herring were traded for pine tar—the means by which the Clavie is lit each year—and the medium I have added to the ink that records each Clavie King and his crew in the lining of this kilt.

This kilt was made for the Northword project, a storytelling project funded by the EU Northern and Arctic Periphery Programme and delivered by Robert Gordon University and University of the Highlands & Islands

The MAKERS’ Kilt

This kilt denotes the coastline of the wearers home, charted across its hem in freehand machine embroidery which covers the main body of raw black denim, inset with charcoal wool sateen from The Isle Mill and a signature strip of Romney Tweed — aptly named Seas Edge. Bespoke straps feature the orange/red accent of the vintage OS map I was briefed with by my client, modular origamist Dr Ellie Clewlow, who also brought into this commemorative kilt the words of a local poet which I printed in its lining.

The IV36 PUTTICK Kilt

This kilt was created from the last of the linen to be woven in Scotland, by a French lady with a longstanding family association with this special cloth. A small section of tweed bought on her travels on the west coast added to the natural warmth of the linen and refers to the image of a verdant landscape painted in oils which formed the basis of my clients brief. Pockets were also a must and this kilt features two, both, like the lining of her kilt, house a vintage cotton printed with daisies, which unbeknown to me when I suggested it, bought back happy memories of days out with her young children to a local garden, where the daisy chains made on the trip would return home filling her pockets.

The McVEAN Kilt

This is special weave tartan was commissioned for the McVean family by their grandfather, woven some years ago in the Scottish borders by Lochcarron of Scotland. Its most recent incarnation is this full length kilt for the youngest of his five grand children, in time for a family wedding. Kinguissie pleating sits on each hip with the strong royal blue line accented in the centre box pleat. Narrow knife pleats sits either side and the back is kept flat, mirroring the front apron and keeping the swing in the deep pleats at each side.

The IV36 RUTHVEN Kilt

This expandable childs kilt for a 2yr old boy has been created from an existing family kilt made in Western Isles tartan that was given to his father in his teens. Re-pleated from the sett to the stripe allows for better symmetry as the kilt is expanded over time, a deep hem plus four hidden pleats to add to the current twenty one will take this child into his early teens. Bespoke red straps, minature garter flashes and a playful dinosaur lining make perfect re-use of an existing family heirloom handed on for the next generation.

The GALBRAITH Kilt

A heavyweight Hamilton Red Modern tartan woven by Lochcarron in a very modern take on a traditional Kinguissie pleated kilt that honours the wearers Scottish and Irish ancestry, with special additions to recall the places she has called home over the years.
The reverse double box pleat in the centreback is flanked by a double fringe edge and hides a dramatic piece of dense Indonesian embroidery that compliments the colours and geometry of the tartan, pleated to both block and stripe.
The symmetry in the sett is highlighted by a double fringe to both edges of the front apron, inset with Nigerian handwoven strip cloth from Urbanstax. This continues in the leatherwork, where a deep navy pair of buckle belts frame the waist and add embroidered details. On the inside a personal extract from W.B.Yeats Song of Wandering Aengus is a treasured memory of her grandmother.

The SAMUELS Kilt

This bold, colour clashing kilt is made with a mix of wools from three Scottish mills; two of them on my doorstep here in Moray — the bottle green lambswool sateen from Johnstons of Elgin and the purple herringbone from the Isle Mill in Keith are each an end of roll, or discontinued cloth. The tones and textures of the green wool seersucker and rib are from Bute Fabrics over on the west coast and have been traditionally handstitched in deep knife pleats which are complimented by individual pleats of African handwoven stripcloth supplied by Urbanstax and finished with top stitched details. A 1960s wool-cotton lining from my vintage collection adds a surprise inside.

IV36: THE ARNOLD

This bespoke pleated skirt has been made from two existing garments, repurposed and redesigned with a signature kilt style, using the same tailoring skills employed in my kiltmaking. One quality vintage wool skirt combined with one sample wool cape, originally made by Dashing Tweeds.
Deadstock cotton inserts form deep box pleats at each side, incorporating practical deep pockets, alongside vintage leather buckles and retro-reflective trims that pick up the special yarn woven into the tweed — a perfect colour match to the 1980s wool skirt.
All items made through the IV36 initiative use existing quality garments and textiles and return 20% of their profits to provide training at the Keith Kilt School, in the now endangered craft of traditional kiltmaking, helping to secure these skills for the generations to come.

IV36: The HYNE OF HARRIS

This kilt is made using a mix of remnant textiles, created within my IV36 remaking initiative. It began with my clients piece of vintage Harris tweed, to explore what could be done with a small section of cloth she had kept for many years. A resourceful and artistic combination of textures from my own collection of deadstock, end of roll and vintage cloth was added, each highlighting a detail in her tweed — a matching purple, charcoal greys and some silk trims.
Again Dashing Tweeds end of rolls came up trumps with the purple peak modern tweed used here, alongside my favourite African handwoven strip cloth from Urbanstax, both supported by another west coast weaver, Bute Fabrics with their wool rib in two colours used horizontally and vertically across the back. On the inside a 1950s wool from my vintage collection provides a cheerful welcome to its wearer each time it is worn.
All items made through the IV36 initiative use existing quality garments and textiles and return 20% of their profits to provide training at the Keith Kilt School, in the now endangered craft of traditional kiltmaking, helping to secure these skills for the generations to come.

The ANCESTRAL KILT

This kilt is a prototype created from curtain remnants, as a collaboration with Dr Lynne Hocking-Mennie, geneticist and hand-weaver at LynnesLoom, whose data-driven research work sits at the intersection of art and science.
Our project explores how genetics could determine the design of a kilt, using a commercially available ancestry test to reveal the ethnic proportions of the wearers biological makeup. The genetic data is then represented in the size, number and proportions of the wearers pleats to bring a scientific interpretation to this heritage craft.

The next stage sees Lynne own genetics embedded into her own hand woven cloth for the making of her kilt.

The ARGENTINE TANGO KiltS

These are heavily damaged kilt lengths of cloth woven at McNaughtons Group in Perth, where bi-monthly sales are held of seconds, samples and end-of-role fabrics. The group are advocates for Remake Scotland, a social enterprise that supports the reuse of resources for community benefit, akin to my own circular economy initiative IV36.

These kilts were created to show how design can mitigate damage, using the same traditional handstitched kiltmaking skills and methods, but supplementing the cloth with a deadstock trim from sustainable sewing supplier The New Craft House.

The pulls and industrial stains that cover the full length of the Cameron Red Dress tartan are now imperceptible, but the resulting style and swing created from the depth of fringes and pleats is an example of the wonders that can come from ‘waste’ now on show in the sustainability section of the TARTAN exhibition at the V&A Dundee. These kilts have been named to reflect the moment the idea came to mind— whilst watching Strictly Come Dancing!

The DASHING DUNITZ BOX PLEAT Kilt

An second incarnation of the square kink merino wool mixed with Donegal yarns designed by Dashing Tweeds, a beautiful cloth I have used previously in the O’Leary of London kilt. This incarnation is formed into a box pleat design with bespoke charcoal leatherwork and lined with a teal silk twill.

The WAKEFORD Kilt

This kilt was commissioned by a husband to surprise his wife on her special birthday. Created as a family heirloom this gift includes their childrens names on each side, subtlety block printed ontop of a handmade adire cotton jacquard, chosen for its painterly design to highlight the wearers background as an art historian.

Two different African batik textiles are used here, a mix of green, lemon white and coral. Pleated in Kingussie formation over each hip accentuated with a top stitch detail and a double—or stacked box, in the centre-back, giving a gown-like appearance. A wideband obi-style waistband has a monogrammed decorative tie and two practical zipped pockets inset in the front apron.

A single vintage bakerlite buckle with bespoke leatherwork and vintage kilt pin finish the outer details... then inside a block printed lining recording things personal to the wearer that occurred in the year she was born. All of this without her knowledge!

The KILOTTE

Experiments and inventions are a regular part of my day-to-day design life almost to the point of being an occupational hazard. I define the role of a designer as someone who solves problems and invents solutions and this kilt is a perfect example of that role.

In my quest to promote the kilt as a garment of functional and practical use for all genders, ages and occupations there has remained one stumbling block — the issue of modesty. There is a gentle humour in the question often asked of male kiltwearers, which challenges the ‘authenticity’ of their highland status … however, the exposure a kilt can give, especially one made with 8m+ of material, in a gust of highland wind, is often not particularly kind.

The kilt has always been a non-bifurcated garment and for men in particular this is one of it’s most positive features. But for instances where you would like to ride a bike in a kilt, or perform any other activity which may expose more than you would wish for — then this is the ‘kilt’ for you.

6m of material, deeply pleated with a mix of wide knife and box pleats, concealing underneath a bifurcated under-apron, hidden by a double pleating section at the rear to preserve the appearance of a fully pleated kilt. This example, in Japanese selvedge denim, mixed with traditional sashiko and some vintage trimmings, has a wide, high waistband with bespoke leather work. Vintage kimono material is used to line the two deep front pockets for a fully practical go-anywhere garment.

THE KAISER KILT

A bright and bold colour-block kilt crafted using superior merino wool fabric from AW Hainsworth
in Yorkshire, the historic mill just down the road from the York Art Gallery, where our collaboration
with the Kaiser Chiefs produced the art and sound experience “When All is Quiet”, which this kilt commemorates.

The O’LEARY OF LONDON Kilt

This kilt was commissioned to celebrate the life of a much loved and very well travelled aunt. My client, an Irish born Londoner married to a Scot, briefed me with photographs of her aunt, Terry, taken in the 50s and 60s, posed in a variety of glamorous, global locations, wearing a series of even more glamorous outfits, accessorised by a collection of stylish spectacles, shoes, bags and occasionally an exotic looking male, or the odd classic car.

The kilt needed to recall her style, but allow for the ease of everyday wear, taking its owner from informal to formal occasions in an understated, but individual manner. London based Dashing Tweeds end of roll collection came up trumps again, providing two pieces of modern merino wools woven in Scotland, that both use a slate grey base incorporating a rainbow flecked Irish Donegal yarn, one checked, the other striped and both jointly reflecting the wearers heritage. The side pleat in Kinguissie formation that features a deep inverted box at each hip was the preferred design, so a bold coral orange feature in Johnstons of Elgin beautiful lambswool deadstock was inset for a flash of hidden colour.

The lining was designed by my client, a digital print onto cotton, recording the places and phrases of special memories that encapsulate a life well lived. This kilt carries her memory as a modern family heirloom and I feel very privileged to have played a part in her remembrance. When I was searching for just the right kilt pin, as I always do for gift give to clients with their kilt, I normally takes some time to find something to support the story of the kilt, or client. This pin had been in my vintage favourites list on etsy before I made this kilt and couldn’t be better suited to honor the lady of stylish spectacles.

The MACDONALD Kilt

This kilt was commissioned by a local gentleman to celebrate his 65th birthday. With a long history of daily kilt wearing and a general interest in the craft and history of highland wear this was a significant piece for his personal collection and his first box pleat construction. It was a pleasure to work with heavyweight strome cloth from Lochcarron of Scotland in MacDonald of the Isles hunting weathered, a perfect sett to create a distinctive box pleat bringing the grey block with red stripe to the front of the box and the white stripe to the centre of the inner, creating interest as it swings open. The MacDonald clan crest is hand painted and personalised with his name and date of birth on his lining.

THE MHOR KILT

Made using heavyweight raw organic denim, this cloth has been hand drawn with the outline
of the hills along the north shore of Loch Voil, the backdrop to the boutique hotel Monochyle Mhor
and centre point of the annual Mhor Festival, for which this kilt has been made. The elevation covers the full eight metres of cloth, charting Parlan Hill in the west to Auchtubhmore Hill in the east, which are hidden within the pleating to form an abstracted view. The Mhor kilt is being hand embroidered whilst at the festival to document the colours in this dramatic landscape at that time. The handprinted inner lining records the names of each hill and glen that is wrapped around its wearer.

THE KYNOCH KIDS KILT

This kilt is the product of a grandmothers gift to a local lady who approached me with an innovative challenge for her children. Charlie and Ellie are 10 and 6 years and both keen to wear a kilt, most especially one made from their grandmothers collection of historic tweeds, purchased in the 50s and 60s in her hometown of Keith. These beautiful cloths represent a once thriving industry in the area, but none were a full kilt length, so this kilt mixes the historic tweed of the Kynoch Mill with modern felted wool from the Isle Mill, and ribbed wool from Bute Fabrics (both from end of roll and discontinued lines) to form a full, adults kilt length.

The kilt has been constructed with one main body but two detatchable aprons, to create the correct, but adaptable fit for each child. Each detatchable apron allows for individual fabrics to be used on either side, along with double faced leather straps, providing two distinct options for wear. Both have a tweed side that matches the rear of the main body, then where Charlie has vintage denim, Ellie has plain felted wool, which is also used it to add extra pleats at each hip. The kilt has a very deep hem and additional fabric in each of its elements, including 4 hidden pleats to add to the existing 21, enabling it to grow with both children into their adulthood and shrink back again when they pass it on.

The BRITAIN Kilt

This side pleat kilt commemorates a significant birthday, using indigo canvas with inset blue and white African strip cloth, brushed nickel buckles and handmade teal blue leather kilt straps, with a personalised lining drawn by my clients children. The kilt pin is a vintage 1960s enamel brooch accompanied by an appropriate pair of lambswool hose by Catherine Tough.

The WAH-WAH Kilt

A happy coincidence has bought about this collaboration with Kaylene Milner a knitwear designer in Sydney, Australia and Mr Joe Johnson, a ‘kinda big deal’ grafitti artist in Hull.

Sparked by Noel Fielding’s outfit whilst presenting dessert week on The Great British Bake Off, we connected online over our mutual love of kilts and knitwear, specifically the woollens she makes through her label WAH-WAH. Inspired by punk rock record covers, gig posters and old-school comics Kaylene designs unique, unisex jumpers produced in Australia from Australian wool, many of which incorporate collaborations with graphic artists and indie bands.

In an exchange of skills using the ‘exquisite corpse’ method of the 1920s surrealists, this kilt will be the first of two that form the bottom half of a unisex outfit. Mr Joe Johnson’s drawing will be continued by me across the raw black denim box pleat kilt, then sent to Joe to add some more artistry, before being shipped over to Kaylene in Australia to bring both parts together. Creating a bespoke selvedge to add a special hem detail begins the task…

THE KILT FOR MUM

A subtle flecked tweed by Marton Mills in Yorkshire, which includes a piece of my grandfathers regimental Black Watch kilt set into the fringe edge. The lining is an illustration drawn by me
of the sunflowers I have always associated with my mum.

The BANHAM of balquidder Kilt

This commemorative kilt celebrates a 70th birthday, in addition to charting (on the lining inside) the wearer’s climb up one of Scotland’s most iconic mountains, Suilven. The kilt is as bold and brave as the wearers endeavour, mixing three wools and adding day-to-night details. The beautiful wool-silk tweed by Dashing Tweeds, is interwoven with retro-reflective thread that lights up at night, to which I’ve added an extra pop using reflective piped edges on each side of the front apron, finishing both with a double fringe edge. The ribbed Scottish wool from the Isle of Bute appears in navy and lime and follows the symmetry of the front with deep pleats, in what is an equivalent weight to heavyweight tartan.

A cotton kilt using the brightly coloured African wax print fabric worn throughout Nigeria, sourced from the textile market in Lagos whilst researching a new museum, with matching tunic made from my vintage wool collection. The stiff handle of this cotton, combined with the trace residue of wax from the dying process, creates sharp pleats that hold their shape. Very deep pleating compensates for the lightweight fabric to ensure a strong shape is held and good swing is achieved when walking.

The KEITH Kilt

This kilt acknowledges my completion of the formal part of my training as a kiltmaker, with the award of the SQA qualification in traditional kiltmaking from the Keith Kilt School. Over the course of two years I’ve been training with head kiltmaker Linda Ghillies, who has patiently put me through my paces, ensuring all the essential handstitched techniques are learnt, whilst supporting my own idiosyncratic twists to tradition alongside.

It’s been a pleasure to be part of this community and bring in a contemporary approach to this historic craft. This very slow and sustainable means of making sits in opposition to mass manufactured garments, but as awareness grows of the impact those garments are having I’m hopeful this endangered craft will find greater recognition and more independent kiltmakers will enter the field.

Using a Glen Check tweed woven at the local Isle Mill in Keith was a fitting fabric for the job. As a slightly lighter tweed with many colours it has suited pleating in the box style giving an overall effect of banding across the width, but highlighting the fine detail of the single red stripe at each centre. I’m complementing the vintage green and blue fabric I’ve inset to each fringe with vintage bakelite buttons instead of the traditional straps and buckles and have again used both edges of the apron to focus on the fringes to really bring out the bright colours in this cloth.

GRANDADS Kilt

A great example of how enduring and versatile a traditionally made kilt can be.

This was my grandads kilt, from his days serving as an Argyll and Sutherland Highlander.
Originally made by Glenisla Kilts, a well respected name in kiltmaking, this high quality heavyweight Black Watch tartan has stood the test of time. There was a lot of room for alteration, allowing me to add four more pleats, along with deeper box and kick pleats. I was conscious of retaining the original details, including the double stripe on the front apron and an interesting pleat design that mixes pleating to the band and to the stripe at the rear.

To highlight the double stripe symmetry at the front I’ve added some tweaks to tradition, creating a fringe edge at both sides and using four straps rather than three. The original chrome buckles have been swapped for gunmetal and complimented with a gunmetal rivet detail securing them to the cloth. The cheviot tweed I used to make my mums kilt is featured as a piped trim in both fringe edges.

Father and daughter make a fine and very particular pair, just as they did together in life.

THE EGYPTIAN KILT

The first in a modern style of kilt, developed by adapting traditional Kingussie pleating to
include an inverted box at each side. My side-pleat kilts have a flat rear apron that mirrors
the apron at the front. This retains the traditional a-line shape and appearance, but has less
bulk and weight at the back. Medium weight black denim is paired with handwoven African
cloth for a flash of colour when walking. The inspiration was drawn from the Egyptology
collections at the British Museum, which show the early adoption of kilts by Egyptian pharaohs,
part of our on-going designs for the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The SOUDANT Kilt

A beautiful selection of colours and textures dominated by Scottish wools and fringed with a handwoven African textile. This kilt was made for a mother in the Netherlands, who visited Scotland with her husband and three daughters. This kilt commemorates their trip, using cloths and a design chosen by all four, so that it will first be worn by mum, then handed onto each of her daughters over the years. The hand drawn lining records the details of their trip. 

The BRANDENBURG Kilt

A summer sewing experiment to create a kilt with pockets in the pleats in fabric light enough for very hot
weather. Record temperatures in Germany in the summer of 2019, where I was undertaking an artists residency,
would have made even my cotton kilts too much to bear.

So, with necessity being the mother of invention, this makes use of some of my vintage fabric along with
a sturdy cotton canvas. A zip pocket in the top apron and a deep seam pocket in the under apron made
this a practical as well as pretty travel companion.

THE YorUBA KILT

Created from traditional adire fabric indigenous to the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
The fabric is crafted using a resist technique with cassava paste, similar to the Indonesian
batik process from which it derives. This lightweight cotton makes a very comfortable kilt
to wear in hotter climates, but the softer handle of the weave does require persistent
and patient ironing. This historic fabric is integral to our designs for the JK Randle Centre
for Yoruba Art & History, in Lagos.

The ChoRISTERS Kilt

A beautiful Irish County Down tartan from House of Edgar, Scotland, pleated to the stripe.
This kilt was created for a Gaelic chorister for both her competition singing and for
everyday wear. Her children designed her very personalised lining and screen-printed it
with a little help from me as a surprise for her when she received the kilt.

The GRAF Kilt

This kilt was made for a groom in Germany to pair with an existing jacket, waistcoat and shirt in his distinctive steampunk style. The groom wanted his kilt to reflect his bride’s gown which was black with a red detail, but create a kilt he could wear easily as part of his everyday wardrobe. The main body of the kilt uses two Holland and Sherry superfine worsted wools from their evening dress collection used for dinner suits, in a combination of self check and self stripe, combined with a heavier ribbed wool from Bute Fabrics and a black and red chevron cloth
in my end of rolls collection.

The kilt is pleated in a Kinguissie formation with very deep pleats that create weight, given the lightweight and very fine handle of this cloth. In addition, both the front apron and rear box pleat in the centre-back have slim curtain weights sewn in to the hem to mitigate any unwelcome exposure. A hidden detail that is seen when the kilt swings is the centre line of silk passimenterie usually used down the outer leg of a dinner suit.

The kilt is lined in hand-painted silk, illustrating a design motif that is significant to the bride and groom along with a commemoration of their wedding date.

THE MACEDONIAN KILT

A heavy flocked 100% wool felt from Greece, with an interesting modern camoflage style design.
Inset to the fringe edge is the Ring of Brodgar tartan from the Keith Kilt School where I began
my training. The hem is machine embroidered to match the colours in the fringe and the lining
is cotton embroidered in Macedonia. The kilt commemorates the completion of the Memorial
Museum for the Macedonian Jews.

The WALLIS Kilt

Our own modern family heirloom, made for my daughters 18th birthday. A side pleat design using a mix of seersucker and ribbed wools from Bute fabrics with an inset African strip cloth at both hips. Chrome buckles and handmade orange leather kilt straps with a very personal ‘names and nicknames’ block-printed lining .

The ANDERSON Kilt

A full length 14oz black denim kilt with inset black and silver striped handwoven African cloth sitting at each side, contrasted with bright neon pink lining and topstitching details. A personal commemoration for Sandi Anderson, a Glasgow painter and printmaker for the acceptance of her work in the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition.

THE FORSYTH KILT

A traditional kilt in Forsyth Modern medium weight by Lochcarron of Scotland, pleated
to the red stripe. Made for a tall teen, with lots of inbuilt growing room to serve him well
for years to come. A personal message saves a special date on the inner lining.

THE RUSKIN KILT

This Italian jacquard twill is a silk-wool mix that has that has pleated up well into a sharp,
special occasion kilt. The side pleat design uses Kingussie style pleating at each hip with
lime silk piping set into the seams. Hand crafted leather work forms a unique kilt strap wrapping around each hip, fixed with riveting front and back. My handwritten lining is a reminder of Ruskin’s wise words, which feature in our exhibition at the York Art Gallery; Ruskin, Turner & the Storm Cloud.

The DR.CLAISSE Kilt

This kilt is the commemoration of a huge achievement, recognising the doctorate that was conferred upon Caroline Claisse, printed in the lining. The indigo canvas with white selvedge detail is pleated at either side with deep inverted boxes at each hip, inset on one side with a blue rib wool from the Isle of Bute and at the other a yellow-gold African handwoven strip cloth with a central blue stripe. Handmade bold yellow leather straps and black buckles finish this distinctive mid length kilt.

The PARTNERLOOK! Kilt

This kilt formed part of a cultural exchange between two rural communities in Scotland and Germany using patterns of social and ethnographic heritage to make new connections between the regions. In a collaboration with artist Gabriele Konsor for arts organisation landmade., this paper kilt is exhibited alongside a matching paper kittel in the ModeMuseum Schloss Meyenburg from February 16th—April 13th 2020.