Style comes to, and emerges from, Scotland’s Dundee, Fife and Perthshire with Vogue and designer label fashion shoots, an exhibition saluting the legendary 1960’s designer Mary Quant at V&A Dundee, a Netflix designer star and links with that iconic and oh so stylish Beatles Abbey Road photograph.
‘Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.’ Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel’s thoughts are in our minds as we welcome back fashion shoots (and all kinds of media production) to the quirky, magnificent, diverse, inspiring region of Scotland that takes in Fife and Perthshire and the cities of Dundee and Perth.
So let’s take a quick tour of nine of the region’s fashion credentials, places and people.
1. Mary Quant at V&A Dundee
V&A Dundee, globally famous museum (and film location) has re-opened with a Mary Quant exhibition exploring the fashion years between 1955 and 1975.
‘Mary Quant disrupted the fashion establishment, connecting with an energised, youthful audience looking for something fresh and fun. From rising hemlines to androgynous shapes and styling, Quant captured the zeitgeist of the moment.’
Find out more about the Mary Quant Exhibition at V&A Dundee.
2. Designer label, Vogue and Harper’s fashion shoots in Dundee, Fife and Perthshire
2019 saw fashion shoots by exclusive London ‘label’ store Browns, labels Parfois and Jill Sander and fashion magazine, Harper’s Bazaar at beaches, forests and landscapes that look remote are easily reached.
Previously designer Stella McCartney and Vogue and Vogue Italia have not only done shoots but shone a spotlight on quirkier film locations such as a recycling centre in Angus, Perthshire’s go-to retro café, the Horn Milk Bar, and a Moto-X racing circuit. Video at the recycling centre featured some of the great folks who work there and to their surprise, found themselves being shown off, on screen at least, at a high fashion event in Milan.
Vogue Italia also shone a light on new talent featuring Dundee model Erin Young.
More about Erin Young and her model agent, Ciel Model Management.
3. Dundee fashion designer Hayley Scanlan on Netflix ‘Next in Fashion’.
Twice winner of Scottish Young Designer of the Year and now with her own label she ‘fought off competition from around the world to become one of the 18 hopefuls to win a life-changing cash prize and a contract with luxury fashion behemoth, Net-a-Porter. Hailing from Dundee, she inherited her love of sewing from her gran, which would also inspire her to go on to study Textiles at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design’.
Take a look behind the scenes as Hood Magazine spoke to Hayley Scanlan.
Get a cool new look at Hayley Scanlan.
4. Dundee born fashion designer John Ray at Thomas Pink/LVMH, Dunhill, Gucci and Katherine Hamnett
‘John Ray left his job at Richemont-owned Dunhill back in February after three years there and will now be helping rival LVMH make more money. LVMH acquired control of Thomas Pink almost 18 years ago and Ray will play a “key role in the renaissance of the brand,” the company said Thursday.
Hailing from Dundee he was spotted by Katherine Hamnett after graduating and later became head of menswear. From there he moved to Gucci working with Tom Ford and becoming creative director of menswear. From Gucci he went to Dunhill and so now on to luxury brand LVMH.
Get a Ray of insight at Fashion Network and the FT.
5. Isolated Heroes - not the Covid kind
Fashion label Isolated Heroes was born from the imagination of master fashion designer Samantha McEwen from Dundee and originally set up her studio in the city.
Get your hands on some Isolated Heroes.
6. Beatles Abbey Road by Dundee and Angus photographer Iain Macmillan
That incredibly stylish and influential photograph of all four Beatles striding across the pedestrian crossing near Abbey Road recording studios was taken in 1969 by Iain Macmillan who hail from Carnoustie by way of Dundee.
By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52962504
Read more about the photo session at Beatles Bible.
7. The ties that bind (TV stars)
Jane Keith has strong links with Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and works out of her studio in Balmerino, Fife. Her ties have featured on TV series like classic and every enduring comedy series “Friends”.
Knot yourself a gorgeous tie at Jane Keith.
8. Fashionable Formula 1 Luggage
Of course we all need something to carry all that fashionable gear in and not just any old luggage.
So make sure you’re seen with nothing less LAT_56 designed by Kevin Fox that won a deal with the McLaren Formula 1 motor racing team. LAT_56 promise a fusion of “exceptional functionality with bold, strong aesthetics”. Kevin studied in Scotland and California, USA before re-locating his business to Dundee and the film location that is District 10 made of recycled shipping containers.
Walk away with some gorgeous bags at LAT_56.
9. Fife Arms hosts Fashion Weekend with Harper's Bazaar Editor-in-Chief, Justine Picardie
And finally, okay it wasn’t in Fife but it was the Fife Arms (in Braemar) that hosted Fashion Weekend in November 2019 with a “stellar cast of names from the world of fashion, led by Justine Picardie, (now former) editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, renowned fashion writer and best-selling biographer of Coco Chanel”.
Harper's Bazaar fashion shoot at film location in Fife Tay, Scotland
There’s more about Fife Arms Fashion Weekend here.