Autumn Winter 2012 represents my first creative foray designing with Scotland’s most internationally celebrated medium. This season tartan represents my principle source of inspiration. The results represent an elegant, contemporary, timeless yet forward thinking take on a cloth which boasts a rich heritage both here in Scotland and around the world. Working with the Official Scots Italian Tartan of Clan Italia, I chose to balance delicate printed silk dressed and with tailored garments in pure new wool, where the tartan element accentuates the clean lines and strong silhouette of each piece. The prints presented alongside the tartan within my collection represent brand new examples of my own painterly artwork translated into delicate printed silks.
This season’s Autumn Winter prints draw inspiration from the dramatic turning of the Scottish seasons; from the majestic pink springtime sky at dusk to the breathy ice-white frost on a bitter winter’s morning. Kaleidoscopic heron prints in neon pink and midnight encourage the eye to wander around the body whilst a subtle dapple grey mare print adds an element of satire as the viewer suddenly identifies the soft, dainty motifs as mirrored horses. Flashes of emerald green set against a swirl of blues depict a handsome peacock; the tones of his bold feathered attire perfectly complimented by the vivid Scots Italian Tartan.

Maintaining the refined feminine silhouette throughout the collection, colourful print placement and exploration with the striking Scots Italia Tartan create an exciting new vibrancy to my label’s trademark elegance.