Dressed to Kilt

During 2nd year we were given the optional project of designing a dress for the Dressed to Kilt event in New York. I chose to do this as i quite enjoy designing clothes. The theme of this years even was country chic so i looked to country house interiors for some inspiration. This was the design that i came up with.

I came up with this Tutu dress, that is covered in material flowers. The flowers would be made up of tartan, tweeds, floral material and other Scottish / country related fabrics. There would be a sash that flows down the back which i thought would look lovely walking down the catwalk.

We were asked to show our designs to the tutors, and the owner of 21st century Kilts. My design was picked as the strongest and i was told that there was a possibility that the dress could be made and i could go to New York. I had to present my idea to the Principle of the University to see if she would help fund the project so that i could get the dress made. She very kindly agreed to fund the project and my dress design was sent to a Glasgow designer, Stephen Purvis, to be made. I took photos of the different stages of the dress production.

First stage

Stage two - I had to hand make all the flowers for the dress, this took hours and hours, but it was all worth it in the end.

Dress with the flowers added

When the dress was finished a photo shoot/ press call was organised to create some interest for my dress. My dress featured in the Edinburgh Evening News, The Scotsman, The Star, The Herald and also appeared on the STV website. The photo shoot was held at a fantastic venue, Prestonfield House. It was the perfect setting for my dress and the photos came out stunning.

Front page of the Evening News

Evening News article

There was also a video diary made of the event which is a really lovely memory of the day. Here is a link to the video: Becky tutu dress video

Before i knew it i was on a plane heading to New York, Napier put us up in a really nice apartment in 1st Avenue. The Dressed to Kilt event was held on Tuesday the 5th of April at the Hammerstein Ball room. It was lovely and very surreal, i met lots of famous people and some big designers.

Poster outside the Hammerstein Ball room.

The Catwalk

My dress featured in the "Young Designers" category, i was such a great feeling seeing it come down the catwalk. The model was a Vivienne Westwood model which made my day! Vivienne Westwood also had a collection come down the catwalk which i felt very privileged to see!

My dress looked lovely coming down the catwalk, the colours really stood out, all my hard work had paid off.

I feel so lucky to have been given this opportunity and i am so thankful to everyone who made it possible for me.