While London Fashion Week is technically about showcasing the best of British design, there's no denying that Scots are enjoying an increasingly significant presence at the event. From the famous Glasgow: Scotland with Style collective, which supports a selection of up-and-coming talents, to more established names, all eyes are currently glued to our designers and their vibrant collections.
For experienced Carnoustie-born designer Graeme Black, this kind of close inspection holds no fears. After all, this is a man who until recently was the head of Ferragamo and before that, Giorgio Armani's right-hand man - big international catwalk shows are like a walk in the park for this veteran Scottish creative.
What makes Graeme's clothes so popular with buyers is that he doesn't apologise for not catering to the hyped-up youth market. You won't see his frocks on Pixie and Peaches Geldof, but then that's why his customers love and respect him so much - Graeme Black designs clothes for women who can afford to buy them, and that's no bad thing in such a youth-fixated industry.
His spring/summer 2009 collection was inspired by the North Sea and the Western Isles, and was a wonderfully polished affair, made from a fairly neutral colour palette. Although there were more youthful garments in this collection, any chiffon mini dresses on display were tempered with a well-constructed coat or jacket. The last few outfits in the collection - a couple of flowing silk and organza gowns - will no doubt go down a storm with all those ladies who can afford to go on a luxurious holiday next year.
While Glasgow-based designer Deryck Walker might not be as well-known as Graeme Black, his classic tailored male collections continue to be a hit among super-stylish men. "I really wanted to push new boundaries with this collection," he said, before taking his show to London with the Glasgow: Scotland with Style collective. "I'm still working with Holland & Sherry and Calzeat with the fabrics, and they've got me some great stuff this season.
"When I saw the orange for the jacket I thought it looked like it could be quite an old-fashioned colour, but I wanted to try to breathe some new life into it, and make it something more interesting. I think we've managed to do that with the whole collection."
It could be said that Deryck Walker is on a bit of a mission at the moment. After launching his womenswear collection last season, he has decided once again to push boundaries when it comes to his fashion label.
Having ruled out putting on a major fashion show this year - he has participated in the On/Off event for several seasons - Deryck has decided to display his collection in the form of a video and still-life photographs. He's not alone, Paris-based design duo Viktor & Rolf are also showing their collection in the same manner this season, as are Scottish label Vidler & Nixon.
Deryck Walker's work, though classic overall, often focuses on little details such as double collars and even the darting position on a shirt. He has recently designed a sell-out shirt for Topshop, has another on the way for website asos.com, and has plans to show his new Harris tweed collection in Paris next year.
While fashion is a consumer-based business, where sales dictate success, there's still room for some fresh talent, even in these turbulent times. And no designers are more fresh and talented than Chloe Patience and Mhairi McNicol, the names behind hosiery label Bebaroque. These girls are on fire at the moment, picking up the Best Scottish Accessory Designer at the Scottish Fashion Awards, while their tights are regularly featured on the pages of glossy magazines.
As part of the Glasgow: Scotland with Style collective, they are showing their new hosiery collection at London Fashion Week. Their tights, which involve complex embroidery as well as beautiful prints, come in bright colours. They also produce a popular ivory bridal collection.
Award-winning designers Aimee McWilliams and Graeme Armour are two of Scotland's brightest young hopefuls. Both part of the Glasgow: Scotland with Style collective, Aimee and Graeme are slowly but surely earning reputations as two of the most sought-after designers in the country.
Aimee's unapologetic approach to designing - she uses copious amounts of leather and sometimes fur in her creations - has made her one of the most respected names at London Fashion Week. She produced a catwalk show for On/Off last year and even had her work featured in the Rolling Stones's recent world tour.
Graeme Armour, who has taken the slow-but-steady approach to evolving his label, has already managed to get his clothes worn by some of the most famous names in the country, including TV presenter Louise Roe. Although Graeme has never shown a complete collection, this season sees him launch his own clothing vision for spring/summer 2009. Named the Young Designer of the Year at the Scottish Fashion Awards this year, Graeme already has fans among the British Vogue team as well as his former employers at Alexander McQueen.
Of course, it's impossible to round up the best Scottish designers at London Fashion Week and not mention Christopher Kane. This talented young man from Newarthill, near Motherwell, is arguably one of the most famous designers in the world, and was certainly the hottest ticket at London Fashion Week.
"A little bit of Flintstones in there, there's also a bit of Planet of the Apes and the sex bomb Raquel Welch in the 1970s. It's sexy and aggressive and monkey-ish in a way," he summed up, just before showing his spring/summer 2009 collection on Wednesday.
And who could argue with him? Of all the designers (Scottish or otherwise) showing in London this week, Christopher Kane certainly proved he could ride out these difficult economic times.
Kane is still a relative newcomer to the fashion industry. This spring/summer 2009 show was just his fifth collection - although looking at the famous names in his front row you'd be hard pushed to tell. Unlike many young designers though, Christopher is taken extremely seriously by the fashion industry, courting the attention of French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld, among others.
This collection was deemed to be an overwhelming success, with many hailing it "his best collection to date". While more established designers are currently quaking in their leather boots at the thought of dramatically reduced sales, Christopher has undoubtedly done more than enough to secure his label's safe passage through these testing times.
Where to buy Graeme Black www.brownsfashion.com www.net-a-porter.co.uk Deryck Walker www.asos.com www.oli.co.uk Bebaroque www.bebaroque.co.uk www.boudiche.co.uk Totty Rocks 40 Victoria Street, Edinburgh. Call 0131 226 3232 CheCamile 98 Saltmarket, Glasgow. Call 07862 720 215 Aimee McWilliams www.aimeemcwilliams.com Graeme Armour www.graemearmour.com Christopher Kane www.brownsfashion.com
