TARTAN TAKEOVER: Scotland’s Fashion Stalwarts Hit the Edinburgh Festival
Stewart Christie • 21st Century Kilts • Totty Rocks • Judy R Clarke • Le Kilt • Tessuti Scotland • Joey D Edinburgh
Image Credit 21St Century Kilts on Instagram
From the historic charm of The Royal Mile to the edgy, offbeat vibes of Leith, Edinburgh’s fashion scene is a heady mash-up of old-world craftsmanship and downtown cool. And nowhere is that electric energy more alive than during the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival.
Come August and early September, the city transforms into a global stage, buzzing with performers and crowds from every corner of the planet – all on the hunt for that perfect piece of Scotland to call their own.
And the designers? They’re serving up tradition with a twist, taking heritage tartans and timeless tweeds and breathing new life into them.
Suddenly the ancient cobblestoned pavements become the ultimate catwalk, where time-honoured tailoring houses rub shoulders with rule-breaking indie designers. The result is a Scottish style that’s deeply rooted in history yet utterly of the moment – and absolutely unforgettable.
Join us for a wee taster of quintessential Edinburgh fashion and repeat the mantra: Keep one foot in the past and one in the future – that’s how you find your rhythm!
Image Credit Stewart Christie on Instagram
LE KILT
The Kilt, but Reimagined
Creative Director Samantha McCoach’s brand Le Kilt’s perspective is that of traditional kiltmaking, but seen through a contemporary lens. The kilt is a garment that can be interpreted in so many ways, and can tell so many different stories – a bit like a blank canvas.
The backbone of Le Kilt is undeniably the kilt – but not as you know it. The lengths alone span a daring spectrum, from micro-mini to floor-grazing, with every conceivable hemline in between.
Then there are the tartans: no longer confined to clan traditions, they range from the understated marled greys that echo Edinburgh’s streetscapes to the mauves and deep forest greens drawn straight from the Highland glens.
The styling, too, is ingenious: these are kilts reimagined with a modern edge: they’re layered over leggings, paired with jeans, peeking out from oversized men’s shirts, or toughened up with leather.
Edinburgh is regularly named one of the world’s top cities for quality of life, and year after year it earns that title not just for its cultural buzz or historic charm, but for how effortlessly one can trade cobbled streets for open hillsides. For Samantha McCoach, it’s this seamless weave of urban and rural that makes the capital so distinctive, and a constant spark for her creativity.
Le Kilt came from humble beginnings, with Samantha’s grandmother, a kiltmaker, showing her the ropes on a kitchen table. Looking at this most accomplish brand today, the rest is the future!
Image Credit Le Kilt on Instagram
Image Credit Le Kilt on Instagram
Image Credit Le Kilt on Instagram
Image Credit Le Kilt on Instagram
Image Credit Le Kilt on Instagram
Image Credit Le Kilt on Instagram
TOTTY ROCKS
Where Leopard Meets Tartan
Since opening its doors in Edinburgh’s Old Town back in 2006, Totty Rocks has grown into a much-loved Scottish label with a fiercely loyal following. At its heart is designer Holly Campbell, who doesn’t just create the pieces, she wears them too, effortlessly blending her own passion for vintage & retro with impeccable tailoring and a style that’s entirely her own.
The result is a luxury brand with a signature aesthetic that’s impossible to miss: 50s florals and classic leopard print live side by side in perfect harmony, and why not throw in a vintage clutch and a pair of cowboy boots for good measure?
Holly has since moved to a studio brimming with fabric in Leith, from where she dresses Scotland’s style set and a roster of celebrities. Every Totty Rocks creation is carefully handmade in Holly’s workspace, where customers can also book an exclusive one-on-one styling appointment.
A firm favourite among Scotland’s fashion elite and a regular presence in the media, Totty Rocks has also become a red-carpet staple at Dressed to Kilt.
Designer Holly Campbell
Image Credit Totty Rocks on Instagram
Image Credit Totty Rocks on Instagram
Image Credit Totty Rocks on Instagram
Image Credit Totty Rocks on Instagram
Image Credit Totty Rocks on Instagram
Image Credit Totty Rocks on Instagram
Image Credit Totty Rocks on Instagram
Image Credit Totty Rocks on Instagram
JUDY R CLARK
Untamed & Romantic
Judy R. Clark has clothed celebrities like KT Tunstall, Freya Ridings, Annie Lennox, and Courtney Love over the years.
This designer is known for a very distinctive sculptural silhouettes, and for reinventing historic fabrics into modern-day heirlooms. She effortlessly transcends seasonal trends, and has built a very strong signature look that those in the know instantly recognise – and crave.
Operating from her Edinburgh studio, she hand-tailors each garment using the finest Scottish and British materials – from Harris Tweed and Scottish lace to carefully sourced antique fabrics. The result is pure “Romantic Art “ – as per Vogue Italia; British Vogue in turn named her “One to watch”. An internship with the late Alexander McQueen in London helped forge her distinctive approach: one that marries traditional tailoring with feminine ease and inner power.
Beyond her ready-to-wear lines, Judy R Clark undertakes bespoke commissions, exhibitions, and creative collaborations. It’s a must to visit Judy in her studio when visiting the Edinburgh Festival – grab the opportunity to become part of the Judy R Clark narrative, one that perfectly encapsulates contemporary Scottish craft.
Image Credit Judy R Clark on Instagram
Image Credit Judy R Clark on Instagram
Image Credit Judy R Clark on Instagram
Image Credit Judy R Clark on Instagram
Image Credit Judy R Clark on Instagram
Image Credit Judy R Clark on Instagram
Image Credit Judy R Clark on Instagram
STEWART CHRISTIE
Pure Unadulterated Scottish Luxe
As Scotland’s oldest bespoke tailor, Stewart Christie’s history and trading heritage can be traced back to 1720.
Imagine how many generations of the distinguished gentry Stewart Christie has kitted out and clothed over the centuries! Not to mention how many New Town men still stop by religiously to this day for some pink corduroy trousers, a hunting jacket, walking stick and flatcap…
Stewart Christie’s Queen Street flagship shop in Edinburgh’s New Town is looking more contemporary and inviting than ever. After four generations under the same family, a new era has dawned under new ownership, and with it a renaissance celebrating the firm’s rich legacy. But don’t fret, It still creates exquisite tweed shooting jackets, highland doublets, capes and bespoke kilts for a discerning clientele.
Walking past the fabulous Stewart Christie store window on Queen Street, one can’t help but muse, that while the Edinburgh fashion scene is buzzing with fresh ideas, its heart still beats with the timeless rhythm of a rich textile and craftsmanship past. Some things never change.
And this is indeed a perfect symphony for the festival spirit!
Image Credit Stewart Christie on Instagram
Image Credit Stewart Christie on Instagram
Image Credit Stewart Christie on Instagram
Image Credit Stewart Christie on Instagram
Image Credit Stewart Christie on Instagram
Image Credit Stewart Christie on Instagram
Image Credit Stewart Christie on Instagram
Image Credit Stewart Christie on Instagram
TESSUTI SCOTLAND
Ribbons of Delight
Since 1985, Fiona McIntosh has been at the forefront of Scottish textile design, building a reputation for her vibrant, screen-printed patterns on luxurious natural fabrics. Fiona’s patterning on silk, cashmere and wool are deliciously luxe to the touch and tantalisingly beautiful to behold.
Fiona’s journey through Edinburgh’s cityscape is as rich and layered as her designs. She began in the heart of the Old Town, where she and business partner James Donald opened the iconic Concrete Butterfly & Concrete Wardrobe. These early ventures, which later moved to the bohemian enclave of Broughton Street in the New Town, became cult destinations for those in the know, establishing her as a creative of note in the city’s design scene. Here her Tessuti prints sat beside a host of other local talent in a craft and gift shop like no other.
Today Fiona can be found in her studio on Albion Road in the arty district of Leith, where the creative spirit of Edinburgh’s old harbour meets its contemporary artistic energy. Here she continues to pioneer her craft, hand-dyeing and silk-screening an exquisite collection of pieces.
From her signature, much-loved silk ties to beautifully crafted blouses, every item is created with the same meticulous attention to detail that has defined her work for decades. Far from just standalone accessories, each Tessuti piece is designed to be a versatile component of a modern wardrobe, designed to flatter not only her beloved stripes but also to sit perfectly alongside every tartan and tweed ensemble.
No visitor to the Edinburgh Festival should leave without one of Fiona’s maverick silk Tessuti ties!
Fiona McIntosh at work.
Image Credit Tessuti Scotland on Instagram
Image Credit Tessuti Scotland on Instagram
Image Credit Tessuti Scotland on Instagram
Image Credit Tessuti Scotland on Instagram
Image Credit Tessuti Scotland on Instagram
Image Credit Tessuti Scotland on Instagram
Image Credit Tessuti Scotland on Instagram
JOEY D EDINBURGH
Trailer-Art & Punk Treasure
Edinburgh’s bohemian Broughton Street is synonymous with Joey D. Since 1998 Joey D has been creating his one-off, take-it-or-leave-it pieces of recycled jackets, kilts, skirts, belts, bags, and of late, also upholstery. This shop has a cult following, and visitors-in-the-
know to the Edinburgh Festival won’t leave the city without stocking up on more of Joey D’s treasures.
Step inside the store, and Joey D’s arsenal is brimming over with rolls of tweed, tartan, canvas, X-military fabrics, leather and other retro specimen – all waiting in the wings to become someone’s favourite patchwork jacket or studded horseshoe bag. Each piece is a one-off creation, from his equestrian-meets-punk jackets to handbags made from recycled army fabrics and coffee sacks.
The experience is immersive; stepping into the shop is like entering a museum of wearable art, where you can often witness the artist himself at work, ensuring every studded horseshoe bag or patchwork kilt is truly unique. It is almost too much to take in, and believe me, that’s the very point: one visit is not enough! You’ll be back for more.
The store on Broughton Street.
Image Credit Joey D on Instagram
Image Credit Joey D on Instagram
Image Credit Joey D on Instagram
Image Credit Joey D on Instagram
Image Credit Joey D on Instagram
Image Credit Joey D on Instagram
Image Credit Joey D on Instagram
21ST CENTURY KILTS
Hip Kilt meets Cobbled Street
Howie Nicholsby created 21St Century Kilts at age 18 in 1996, being the fourth generation in the kilt industry (his family owns the iconic Geoffrey Kiltmakers). He wanted folk like himself, who have no family tartan connection, to feel an affinity with the kilt.
Howie Nicholsby has since taken that idea even further – he’s made the kilt a thing for everyday wear, not just for weddings and special occasions. Howie’s kilts are fashioned in denim or leather (or indeed tartan or tweed if you like), worn with any footwear from Caterpillar boots to sport shoes, and his kilt hose may be sported half-mast down the calf… it’s entirely up to the wearer to make the look their own.
This spirit of freedom of expression is perfectly embodied by 21st Century Kilts. Howie Nicholsby’s designs, featuring unorthodox low-slung fits and detachable pockets, have become a staple of Edinburgh street style, proving that tradition can indeed evolve over time – and dare one say it, look even better than the original.
21st Century Kilts have kilted out too many celebrities to mention. From singers and actors to politicians and media personalities, it seems no-one leaves Edinburgh without their very own signature 21st Century Kilts kilt.
Image Credit 21st Century Kilts on Instagram
21st Century Kilts on Instagram
TFCK should not be worn with the usual cream socks and Jacobite shirts – the mix at Geoffrey (Tailor) did not work for me. In 2009, I was able to go independent to my
Image Credit 21st Century Kilts on Instagram
Image Credit 21st Century Kilts on Instagram
Image Credit 21st Century Kilts on Instagram
Image Credit 21st Century Kilts on Instagram
Image Credit 21st Century Kilts on Instagram
Image Credit 21st Century Kilts on Instagram
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