Scotland's Young Stars Re:Designed

So who are the design names to watch in Scotland now? The buyers from Harrods and Liberty have a few names in mind, unveiled yesterday at designer fashion showcase Scotland Re:Designed. Young Scottish Designer of the Year Jennifer Morris and 11 fellow exhibitors showcased their spring/summer 2014 collections in the temporarily transformed Harvey Nichols' basement car park in Edinburgh.

Kicking off the four-day fashion showcase, which includes an open designer showroom and a series of public workshops, the catwalk show was opened by Burberry model Amber Anderson - wearing Rebecca Torres, whose clients include Roisin Murphy and Mollie King from The Saturdays. Fellow exhibitors Bebaroque, Common People, ESK, Jaggy Nettle, Rosie Sugden, John & Pearl and William Chambers joined Morris and Torres to show their designs on the catwalk, while interiors specialists Abigail Ryan, DC Dalgliesh and Silken Favours were also identified as promising design businesses by the judges.

"Common People, ESK and Jaggy Nettle showed luxurious ranges with a clean contemporary edge proving that knitwear can have great diversity," said Harrods buyer Eleanor Higgs. "These designers planned their collections in great detail and focused on colour which is a key factor for our customers, who look for innovation and a point of difference in their garments".

Common People

Alongside buyers from Harrods, Liberty and Edinburgh boutique Jane Davidson, the panel consisted of industry judges including Paul Smith visual merchandiser Marta Gomila, Topman creative director Gordon Richardson and Victoria & Albert Museum fashion curator Jenny Lister.

Jennifer Morris 

"Scottish fashion is so interesting because of the dichotomy between rural crafts and edgy contemporary fashion," said V&A fashion curator Jenny Lister. "Young designers need to create unique pieces with a marketable story to succeed. The story behind DC Dalgliesh stands out for me because they brought an old company back to life by combining traditional techniques with modern technology."

Bebaroque

The judges reviewed over 50 applications and considered workmanship, design quality, green credentials, stockists and the overall profile of the business.

"I was impressed that the 12 designers married their heritage with a completely modern viewpoint," said Liberty buyer Ben Andrew. "ESK Cashmere has huge potential because there's a real gap in the market for a luxury mens Cashmere brand.