Keeping With Tradition The Traditional Catwalk, The Arches, Wed 14 June.
No tourist visits Scotland without calling into one of our numerous woollen mills and factory shops. With a world-wide reputation for traditional garments, this large corner of our fashion heritage is often regarded with derision by the style police, something Intervention programmer Lucinda Meredith knows only too well.
'Last year we had lots of Harris Tweeds and tartan on the catwalk, enough to know you’re in Scotland, and we got criticised for that in the fashion press, saying when on earth is Scotland going to run a new design catwalk show without falling back on what they considered to be Scottish clichés,’ she says. ’So what we’ve done this year is given them a catwalk of their own.’
That's not to say that the designs won’t be innovative; quite the contrary. Emily Quinn's knitted underwear and accessories will be on display along with 21st Century Kilts‘ modern take on kilt design and fabrics. And Sanna Ibister's couture knitwear from the Shetlands sits side by side with work by headline designer Belinda Robertson.
Highlighting the importance of traditional design is something Meredith is keen to stress. ‘What we want to do is not to lose that Scottish identity,’ she says. ’Sheepskin, knitwear, tartan, tweed and cashmere are all very important industries for the fashion and textile industries and for Scotland. It's the key to the industry, and to lose it would be criminal.’
Just in case you need further persuasion that traditional Scottish fashion isn't just something your parents would be interested in, Martyn Bennett, the man who represents Scotland's musical collision between traditional and modern, will be providing a suitable soundtrack for the evening.
Club Style
The Alternative Catwalk at Fruitfly, The Arches, Sat 17 June.
For many people, The Arches is synonymous with clubbing. So to make sure their regular customers don't feel left out during Intervention, the venue is hosting a night of alternative fashion at regular club night, Fruitfly. A hotbed of underground fashion, Glasgow's clubbing scene seems the perfect place to explore style.
‘Fashion and clubbing go together,’ says Fruitfly promoter Gordon Band. And there are a whole host of additions to Fruitfly’s regular line-up. 015 Fisher and Price are joined by London duo The Sharp Boys, providing garage, house and hardhouse sounds while Sexy Something Events perform style makeovers on clubbers in the mood, and Fondue Performance Companies present a quirky look at the world of fashion.
Reward Time
Railtrack Scotland Fashion Awards, The Arches, Thu 22 June; Preview Exhibition at The Lighthouse, Mon 5 June—Sat l July.
The grand finale of the fashion festival is the Intervention Catwalk Show. Divided into three sections, this crown jewel in the fashion calendar features highlights of the college shows, a showcase of established designers and then, the moment 24 young hopefuls will all have been waiting for, the Railtrack Scotland Fashion Awards.
A brand new award for the Scottish fashion world, the aim is to reward a new fashion designer and a student fashion designer, both financially and through work placement. Programmer Lucinda Meredith reckons that to start up a new fashion and textile business in Scotland you need ’£15,000, a lot of talent and a bit of luck', so the £7,500 award on offer should go a considerable way towards achieving that.
'The person who wins that money and anyone who's
The highlight of the evening should be the Alternative Catwalk Show (dedicated dancers needn't worry, it won’t interrupt the DJs). A group of Scotland's most avant-garde designers have been brought together, as programmer Lucinda Meredith explains: 'lt’s really good fun for designers that have Glasgow and Scottish labels, labels that are streetwear or slightly alternative, say gothic or body jewellery; this is the audience they want to get to.’
Lesley Hepburn, Irene Wadsworth and John Nichols are just a few of the designers showing their work to what should be one of the most energetic audiences a designer could dream of.
been involved will emerge with a clearer idea of how to promote themselves into an international market,’ says Meredith. Railtrack, which owns The Arches venue, has given a three-year commitment to funding the awards, something to inspire all those struggling designers out there.
Before the big night, there’s the chance to look at the shortlisted candidates’ work in a preview exhibition at the Lighthouse. The outfits themselves are busily being stitched up, so what's on show are the flatwork designs, drawings and fabric samples, giving people an idea of the work that has gone into creating the finished garments. If you want to find out which Scottish designers are on the up, don’t miss Intervention.
(Louisa Pearson)
2s use i.» 2000 meusrm