Two designers from Dundee are tipped for glory at the Scottish Fashion Awards. Courier style writer Christina Miller profiles the glitzy event.
The ninth annual Scottish Fashion Awards will take place in London this September and for two city designers, it is cause for plenty of excitement.
Dundee’s Jane Gowans and Hayley Scanlan have both been nominated for awards (Accessory Designer of the Year and Young Designer of the Year, respectively) and appreciate the opportunity to broaden their horizons.
Jane, 28, told The Courier, “I’m thrilled to be nominated and it feels like a fantastic reward for the hard work put in this year and drives my ambitions for the future all the more.
“The SFAs are a really important part of the fashion calendar as they bring together a huge range of people working in different areas of the sector and allow designers a platform to showcase what Scotland has to offer.
“They are aiding the connectivity between Scotland and the wider fashion world, allowing me to work from Dundee whilst raising the brand profile across the UK.
“It is always a wonderful feeling to be recognised and I am excited for the ceremony in September.”
By holding the awards in London, the organisers are looking to help up-and-coming talent including those who don’t want to live and work in London to stay in their home towns, while connecting with as many of the fashion industry’s biggest players as possible, all in one place.
Dundee ambassador Hayley Scanlan, 31, agrees.
She said: “The Scottish fashion industry continues to grow and each year more and more designers are staying in Scotland to work.
“This means we have a great community of talent and it really puts Scotland on the map in terms of design.
“The SFAs are a great support for young designers like me and Jane, who have stayed true to our roots by continuing to work and live in our home town.
“It’s great to be given the recognition, especially when we work so hard.
“Winning an award in 2012 changed my life. I hope it will do the same for this year’s winner. I’m excited for London.”
Coinciding with the rapid international growth of Scottish fashion designers, such as Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders, the Scottish Fashion Awards were established by Dr Tessa Hartmann in 2006 in an attempt to support Scotland as a strong and relevant producer of fashion.
The awards ceremony is a celebration and recognition of Scotland’s excellent education facilities and incredible home-grown talent.
Nominees are considered by a panel of renowned and esteemed international fashion figures.
This year’s judges include the editors-in-chief of Grazia, Harper’s Bazaar and Marie Claire, among others.
The awards, to be held on Monday September 1, are an invaluable platform for emerging Scottish talent, from textile manufacturers to designers, models and photographers.
However, despite the Scottish ceremony being held in Scotland in Stirling then Glasgow for seven years, the event was moved to London last year, much to the disappointment of many Scots.
It was uncertain whether the event would be moved back to Scotland this year or if it would once again be held in Britain’s fashion capital.
It seems the temptation to remain in an international fashion hub was too good an opportunity for the organisers to pass up.
Tessa Hartmann explained to The Courier: “I’ve been asked on many occasions as to why we decided to host the awards in London.
“Having the event in London was a huge success for us last year from an awareness perspective.
“These people need platforms, awareness and profile to help them grow their businesses, meet buyers and fashion influencers and be seen in the nation’s fashion capital.
“There’s nothing wrong with that it’s called progression.
“In order to compete globally we need to go where the markets are and show our wares.
“In an ideal world, I would take the event to New York and Paris. All in good time, perhaps.”
This might not be what Scottish supporters of the event want to hear but London is a much more strategic location.
By holding the Scottish Fashion awards on the doorstep of the UK’s fashion capital, doors all too often tightly shut will be much more likely to open to our Scottish talent, Tessa maintains.
She continued: “The nominees are all well known in their native Scotland but their ambitions are to go beyond borders, increase their global awareness and showcase their talents to a bigger marketplace.
“Having the event in London last year allowed us to entertain significant global media, buyers and industry figures to the impressive merits of our Scottish fashion and increase our awareness to a much wider audience.”