We live in tumultuous times – so why not let your skirt reflect that? The latest design classic to read 2018’s room is the kilt. In the hands of modern fashion designers, it has mutated from an item steeped in Scottish tradition to what we’re calling the ‘frankenkilt’. Rather than using one tartan all over to signpost your clan, the frankenkilt splices several together, creating a sort of anarchic feel that chimes with the zeitgeist. Think less the Queen with corgis in the Highlands, more designer Charles Jeffrey in a kilt and bovver boots with a beauty spot.
The frankenkilt has been endorsed by some catwalk labels – JW Anderson, Gucci and Sacai included – and is now found in high-street stores including Topshop and Zara. But it is the boutique label Le Kilt that really owns the look. Set up by Scottish designer Samantha McCoach in 2014, the designer has the heritage: her grandmother has made kilts for 40 years. For her Mix & Match style, McCoach herself takes that tradition, cuts it up and puts it back together again. The result? A skirt that signals where we’re at now.
