This year’s From Scotland With Love fashion show features the Scottish Lion and
the Asian Dragon in a ying/yang design and beautifully captures the tone the 2013 fashion
show held in New York last night. It was
a wonderful evening featuring not only traditional Scottish tailoring and
Chinese Han Couture, but also fresh, contemporary designs incorporating tartan,
tweed and silk. Modelling designs from Dame
Vivienne Westwood, new talent from Edinburgh’s Napier University and others
were Josh Elliot, co-anchor of Good Morning America, Colonel Martha McSally,
the first female fighter pilot in US history, and Lord McConnell, former
Scottish First Minister. Notably, Arun Gandhi,
Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, took to the runway to model the World Peace Tartan.
Linking
the fortunes of the Lion and the Dragon makes good economic sense. As the economies of the UK, US and Europe are
stalling or stagnating, the Asian Dragon represents the dynamism of the eastern
economies. Last night’s event was an
excellent opportunity to promote Scottish designers, manufacturers to a new and
growing market.
It was a
dynamic, lively and fresh event and Melanie and I were delighted to be there. In addition to providing commercial
opportunities for Scottish businesses, the primary aim of this annual event is
to promote a more contemporary vision of Scotland. The event honoured the Scottish diaspora who
settled across the globe – notably in Asia – and took their traditions and
heritage with them. But it gave a vision
of Scotland today that is international and outward looking; taking the traditional
brand of tartan, tweed, woollens and kilts but representing them with a renewed
freshness and vitality.
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