This coming February, four Scottish Fashion & Accessories Designers will be exhibiting and selling their collections at the Tomorrow Store’s Pop up Shop in London, through UK youth charity The Princes Trust.
Fashion and Accessories designer, Kirsteen Stewart; Womenswear designer, Rebecca Torres; Luxury Bag designer, Jill MacLennan; and Womenswear and Accessories designer, Catriona MacAllister have all been supported by the Princes Trust as they develop their collections and expand their businesses. Through the Trust’s latest retail venture, The Tomorrow Store, all four designers have been given the opportunity to sell their latest collections at a February Pop up Shop event over the London Fashion Week period.
The Tomorrow Store, Eldon Street, is stocked entirely by young entrepreneurs who have set up their businesses with support from the Princes Trust Enterprise programme, giving them a new platform to showcase their products and engage with a new market. Store manager, Sally Anne now wishes to extend the Tomorrow Store’s exposure to more businesses supported by the Trust.
Rebecca Torres, based in Glasgow, will exhibit her new collection ‘Dimensions’ at the Pop Up; a collection of lustrous, form-fitting garments with mesmerizing geometric prints, inspired by Inspired by Quantum Theory and the aesthetic of 60’s and 70’s science fiction cinema.
Orcadian designer Kirsteen Stewart, currently stocked by the Tomorrow store, will be showcasing her new Spring accessories, alongside a capsule clothing collection utilizing panels of stunning digital prints, inspired by the changes in light in the Scottish skies.
Womenswear designer Catriona MacAllister will have available her latest Spring collection “On the Lake,” taking colour and embellishment inspiration from her home in the North East of Scotland, along with various accessories.
Jill MacLennan will bring a selection of her silk scarves and elegant clutch bags to London, finished in a tempting array of hand dyed silks and Scottish Tweed.
The Pop Up Shop will be open from Monday 3rd February until Friday 28th February, with a launch for invited guests on Wednesday 5th February. To read more about the designers involved, please take a look below or take a look online at http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/the_tomorrow_campaign/store.aspx
Rebecca Torres
Studying Fashion Design and Manufacturing at Cardonald College before going on to study Fashion Business at Caledonian University, Rebecca Torres is the founder and designer behind the self-titled label. Specialising in the use of luxurious sports led fabrics Rebecca is renowned for her ability to accentuate and empower the female form creating garments featuring enhanced fit, stretch and comfort.
With a sell out collection on asos.com, Rebecca has designed ranges in collaboration with high street retailers, UK stylists and artists. Rebecca was recently the winner of the ‘Best E-commerce site of 2013’ through the BT Young Entrepreneur awards. www.rebeccatorres.co.uk
Catriona MacAllister
Having interned at London based designers Christopher Kane and Zandra Rhodes, Catriona graduated from Heriot-Watt University, School of Textiles & Design in 2012. The following year, she set up her womenswear and accessories label Catriona MacAllister. By accompanying sophisticated fabrics and a polished cut this emerging label offers a new take on evening luxury, highlighting refined detailing and embellishment.
A Finalist in Scotland Re:Designed’s New Talent Competition 2013 and Semi Finalist in Muuse X Vogue Talents 2013, Catriona has been awarded start up funding from The Prince’s Trust along with mentoring from the Business Gateway. She is part of the Making Progress programme with Emergents and her work is stocked with Perry Nelvill, Silk Fred and Not Just A Label. www.catrionamacallister.co.uk
Jill MacLennan
Jill MacLennan lives and works in Easter Ross. Jill graduated from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen in 2012. She was a Scottish Fashion Awards nominee in 2012. Following graduation Jill worked for a year with fashion design house Erdem in London. Jill is currently a graduate in residence at Gray’s School of Art and is developing her business, which she set up with support from the Prince’s Youth Business Scotland. Jill designs hand dyed clutch bags and scarves in velvet, silk and crepe as well as tweed bags. All tweeds are 100% wool and sourced in Scotland. www.twitter.com/JMcRaeDesigns
Kirsteen Stewart
From starting her business at her kitchen table, Fashion designer Kirsteen now works in her Kirkwall studio and retail premises to create a series of accessories and capsule clothing collections with complimentary surface design themes.
From a small range of leather accessories – produced in collaboration with a fairtrade charity for women in Bangladesh – Kirsteen’s collection has grown and evolved into an distinctive and contemporary selection of lambswool knitwear, printed silk scarves, embroidered jumpers and laser cut jewellery. Each product is crafted and produced under ethical conditions in Scotland before being hand finished in the studio and sent out to customers and wholesale as far afield as Japan.
Kirsteen was awarded the Princes Trust Business Growth Award in September 2013. www.kirsteenstewart.co.uk
Tomorrows Store: http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/the_tomorrow_campaign/store/about_tomorrows_store.aspx