From models to designers, muses and tastemakers who will be OUR number one?

48 Jenivieve Berlin 
Jenivieve Berlin millinery is recognised as Scotland’s rebel of traditional head pieces. Originally designing pieces for dancers, the Scot jetted into fashion in 2011 creating bold millinery inspired by the edgy style of Berlin. We think Lady Gaga is the perfect candidate to sport one of her pieces. (SE)

47 Chouchou Couture
Rome-born Silvia Pellegrino fell in love with Scotland on a holiday when she was 20. In 2009, she made Glasgow her home and a year later set up Chouchou Couture from a small studio in the city’s Hidden Lane (long before Finnieston became the hip strip it is today). Her trademark luxury hoods – or Hollyhoods as Pellegrino has dubbed them – have graced the pages of Vogue, appeared at New York’s Tartan Week and been exhibited at the Scottish Parliament. Pellegrino, who splits her time between Glasgow and Barcelona, strives to use Scottish fabrics including tartan, tweeds and lace. Projects include designing bags for the Glasgow Style Mile and creating a pink tartan “Sisterhood” with proceeds to charity Womankind Worldwide. (SS)

46 Rosie Sugden
In the world of knitwear, Rosie Sugden is one of the rising stars. Specialising in cashmere knitwear accessories, the eponymous label has created exclusive collections for Anthropologie, Liberty, Harrods and Net-a-Porter. Following a trip to New York earlier this year, she teased that she has more exciting things to come. Be sure to watch this space. (SE)

45 Catherine Aitken
Former film producer Catherine Aitken creates accessories in heritage cloth such as Harris tweed, waxed cotton and linens, and is expanding into movie-inspired printed textiles. Edinburgh-based Aitken, 55, found her path into fashion after designing a Katharine Hepburn-inspired bag to promote a film at Cannes. She has created collections for Judy Murray at Cromlix Hotel and the National Galleries of Scotland Titian exhibition. Aitken was one of 20 designers chosen by Craft Scotland to exhibit her work at the American Craft Show in Baltimore last month. (SS)

44 Isolated Heroes
Isolated Heroes – launched by Dundee’s Samantha Paton in 2012 – has become synonymous with sequins, sass and style icons such as Miley Cyrus and Paloma Faith. Paton’s signature style of hand-embellished detail, oversized silhouettes and vivid colour palettes is interwoven with wider themes of empowerment, inclusiveness and a celebration of body positivity. Her designs deftly break the mould by being available to a size 24. (SS)

43 Strathberry
The luxurious Edinburgh brand Strathberry offers minimalistic handbags produced by the finest artisans using the highest-quality materials. Showcasing a signature structural style, each handbag features clean lines and a unique bar closure. With various colours and styles, Strathberry likes to spoil customers for choice – we’ll take five. (SE)

42 Sleekit
Sleekit is one of the brands of the moment. Founded by Scottish designer Iain McDonald, Sleekit creates wearable pieces of art with bright and bold designs. One to watch, McDonald recently created prints for Topshop which will feature in their summer range. (SE)

41 Tens
Friends Tom Welsh, Marty Bell and Kris Reid came up with the idea for Tens on a road trip in the Highlands in 2012. Their nifty sunglasses design contains in-built sepia-tinted lenses which endeavour to “make your day look 10 times better”. The Glasgow-based firm secured investment from Sir Richard Branson last year after a friend lent him a pair at his Necker Island retreat. (SS)

40 I’ll Be Your Mirror
Dynamic duo Kirsty Halliday and Stuart Truesdale are the faces behind Glasgow’s diverse fashion agency I’ll Be Your Mirror. Coming from a background in luxury fashion, including being mentored by Nick Knight, the pair offer styling, art direction and creative project production services. Their work has already been featured in titles such as i-D and Hunger. We’d trust them to be our mirror any day. (SE)

39 Ronnie McDonald
Glasgow-born designer Ronnie McDonald is ruling the roost as head designer at fashion-forward label Tiger of Sweden, where he has worked for almost a decade. Arguably his most iconic design for the brand is the Tiger Tartan which featured in 100 jackets, 100 scarves and a few kilts. (SE)

38 Rachael Eustace
Edinburgh College of Art graduate Rachael Eustace has turned heads from early in her career including being shortlisted as Scottish Fashion Awards graduate of the year and being a finalist in design competitions for Warehouse, Whistles and Mackintosh. In 2009, she and her father David – a photographer who has shot pictures of Sir Paul McCartney, Sophia Loren and Ewan McGregor – were commissioned by Anthropologie to document a 3,000-mile road trip from Los Angeles, California to Eustace, Texas. The 24-year-old is working as a design assistant in menswear at H&M at the firm’s headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. (SS)

37 Hancock Vulcanised Articles
Practicality meets fashion with new Scottish brand Hancock VA, which is revolutionising the waterproof raincoat. Founded by former managing director of the Mackintosh label Daniel Dunko and Gary Bott, the brand creates fashionable raincoats designed to withstand unpredictable weather. Hancock is working on collaborations with international powerhouses Stella McCartney and Converse. We can’t wait to see what the results. (SE)

36 Jorie Grassie

Jorie Grassie owns the 8,000-acre Culachy Estate near Fort Augustus with her husband Colin and designs fine jewellery using red deer stag tusks. The 60-piece Culachy Collection includes a £63,500 choker which incorporates 250 diamonds.

How did the idea for the collection happen?

My lightbulb moment was spotting a huge jar of deer tusks lying idle in a shed. I saw their intrinsic beauty as a chance to combine my love of stalking and the hills of Scotland with a passion for creating beautiful jewellery.

Why must the animals be culled?

Red deer are culled by statutory requirement in order to protect and sustain the population. With no natural predators the red deer would explode in population, leaving the herds vulnerable to disease and starvation.

Where do you get inspiration for the designs from?

My inspiration comes from walking the hills and living with nature’s beauty and sounds. I sit by a log fire taking it all in and am bursting with ideas.

What is your favourite piece in the collection?

The Lady Falls Necklace. This piece captures the strength and beauty of a tempestuous waterfall on the Culachy Estate from which it takes its name. The design features more than 230 tusks and 830 diamonds.

Who would you most like to see wearing your pieces?

Deer tusk jewellery was especially popular in the Victorian era. Prince Albert commissioned magnificent tusk inspired creations for Victoria. My ultimate celebrity would be the Queen. (SS)

35 Begg & Co
Global success story Begg & Co was founded in 1866 by Alex Begg and has become famous for luxurious cashmere products. Its designs have been seen on everyone from the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, to TV presenter Kirsty Wark. (SE)

34 Chris Hunt
Entrepreneur Chris Hunt is the creative brains behind PR agency Genuine Scotland and fashion project Scotland Re:Designed which has showcased Scottish talents in cities such as London, Hong Kong and New York. Hunt’s heroes include Grace Coddington, Marc Jacobs and Madonna. (SE)

33 Samantha McCoach
Edinburgh-born Samantha McCoach has built an impressive portfolio that includes a high-profile collaboration with Mackintosh. McCoach, 30, who founded Le Kilt in 2014, has given the raincoat staple a sleek update. Her designs – launched at London Fashion Week last month – include pinafore dresses, belted vests and high-waisted coats, all in a rubberised, waterproof fabric. McCoach brings a modern twist to her family’s tailoring heritage: her grandmother has been a kilt maker for more than 40 years. (SS)

32 Oliver Greenall
Irvine-born Oliver Greenall is a man in demand. Signed to Model Team, he has appeared on catwalks for Diesel, Missoni and Commes des Garcons, done campaigns for Urban Outfitters and Topman, and shot magazine editorials for Dazed & Confused, i-D, Love, Grazia France and GQ Japan. The list goes on. The 22-year-old is also a budding actor and has a role in the forthcoming ITV drama series The Loch. His self-penned and directed short, Directions, premiered at the Glasgow Short Film Festival in 2016. (SS)

31 Anna Freemantle
Beauty, brains and business: Edinburgh-based model and director of the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival Anna Freemantle has the whole package. With a passion for sustainable fashion, she has contributed to many projects including Zero Waste Scotland’s Love your Clothes campaign. An innovator with an ethical heart. (SE)

30 Lindsay McKean
Ready-to-wear luxury knitwear/streetwear Cats Brothers – founded by Lindsay McKean and Anna Wilkinson in 2012 – has announced a collaboration with Borders-based heritage manufacturer Hawick Knitwear. The range of slogan sweatshirts, created using fine yarns and cashmeres, will be unveiled at SR:D Hong Kong, a trade showcase with Scotland Re:Designed this week. Dumbarton-born McKean, 42, took over creative control in 2014. The label has gone from strength-to-strength including winning Young Designer of the Year at the 2015 Scottish Fashion Awards. Cats Brothers debuted its menswear collection at Pitti Uomo in Florence last year at the invitation of Vogue Italia and was commissioned by Penguin Books to redesign the cover of Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit to mark the 150th anniversary of the children’s classic. (SS)

29 Nicola Sturgeon

Long before Prime Minister Theresa May posed for a cover shoot for American Vogue, Nicola Sturgeon forged the path to political pin-up. When the First Minister stepped out in a striking red dress and jacket from Totty Rocks in 2014, it put the Edinburgh boutique on the fashion map (Sturgeon wore the label again on Monday as she announced plans to seek another Scottish independence referendum). The brand is the brainchild of designers Holly Mitchell and Lynsey Blackburn who have also dressed Kate Moss, America Ferrera and Gok Wan. (SS)

28 Lauren Mayberry
The Chvrches singer has made a name for herself for the thumping fizz of the band’s music and her feminism but if the “How to Dress Like Lauren Mayberry” blogs are anything to go by, her fashion style is something to emulate for girls of a certain age. (TJ)

27 Cathal Mcateer
Ex-semi-professional footballer turned fashion-label founder, Cathal Mcateer spends his days running Scottish brand Folk. Straying away from traditional mass-market clothing, Mcateer focuses on luxury products with subtle details. Following a very different career path to his original, he’s bang on target. (SE)

26 Lynsey Alexander
Makeup artist Lynsey Alexander’s love of slap began at the age of 17 when she discovered Mac, a brand she went on to work for. Last year she worked on campaigns for Calvin Klein and Dior Homme as well as a wealth of catwalk shows. Sounds like a beauty lover’s dream come true. (SE)

25 James McAvoy
Silver-screen Scot James McAvoy never fails to impress with his charming nature and equally charming approach to fashion. Not usually one to pose for the camera, McAvoy agreed in 2014 to star in a Prada campaign photographed by lens legend Annie Leibovitz. McAvoy donated his fee to charity. Charming and charitable: as if we couldn’t admire him more. (SE)

24 Pam Hogg

Pam Hogg is a Scottish stylist who has dressed Siouxsie Sioux and Lady Gaga.

How did music and fashion combine for you?

Music is the thread that runs all the way through. It’s how I connected with fashion when I was at school. I loved what guys in my favourite bands wore.

Who was the client who changed everything for you?

My work has brought me together with the most incredible people. I met Debbie Harry through my clothes, likewise Siouxsie Sioux and many others. When I was playing the Banshees album The Scream nonstop at full volume before going to the Blitz Club every week in the late 1970s I never imagined we’d become friends.

What do you think your greatest achievement has been?

Staying alive! The intensity and solitary way I’ve been working has almost broken me, but I’m hoping to get back on an even keel soon.

Do you think it is possible to pinpoint a Scottish influence in your work?

There’s definitely the hard-working ethic. I don’t think I’d have survived this long without it.

Is there something unique about the Scottish contribution to fashion?

I can only speak for myself. I’m self-taught but nothing has fazed me. Maybe it’s a Scots determination, a fearlessness, not being afraid to make a mistake or be the odd one out.

What are you working on at the moment?

My work is a continuation so I never stop. I’ve just finished my latest collection and I am formulating the next in my head. I’ve also got commissions, one in Berlin for an opera and soon I’ll be involved with Paisley and their bid to become City of Culture. (TJ)

23 Holly Fulton
Holly Fulton designs luxurious womenswear. Since her debut collection in 2009, her designs have received recognition from some of the UK’s most prestigious fashion titles and associations including Elle and the British Fashion Awards. (SE)

22 Rankin
From Paisley to the palace. If HM the Queen remains photographer Rankin’s most famous model, she’s not without competition. In his 1990s salad days Rankin was the “court photographer of Cool Britannia”. He still shoots the stars of fashion, film and pop for his latest magazine Hunger (having already given us Dazed & Confused). And over the years he’s published somewhere in the region of 30 books (and that might be a conservative estimate). Just to keep his hand in he’s recently opened his own fashion-led advertising agency. Presumably he has the odd day off too. (TJ)

21 Mackintosh
Mackintosh is undoubtedly one of Scotland’s most innovative success stories. Inspired by Charles Mackintosh’s revolutionary waterproof fabric, the brand combines modern and traditional techniques to create luxurious coats. The brand often collaborates with other labels; recent partnerships include Vetements, Maison Michel and Le Kilt. (SE)

20 Calvin Harris
From DJ to Emporio Armani underwear billboard star, the transformation of Calvin Harris has been nothing short of impressive. He may no longer be modelling kecks, but the 33-year-old from Dumfries – who has worked with Kylie, Rihanna and Rita Ora – still cuts a dapper figure. (SS)

19 Vicki Murdoch
Vicki Murdoch, founder and creative director of Silken Favours, has made silk scarves for everyone from the Queen to Lady Gaga’s dog Asia, created a wallpaper line, collaborated with a major perfume brand and has a raft of top-secret projects up her sleeve. Most recently the 35-year-old from Aberdeen collaborated with Victoria & Albert Baths on a wallpaper design and unveiled a range of silk headbands on Net-A-Porter. Murdoch draws inspiration from nature, often with a leftfield and playful approach. Think kittens riding unicorns and flying pigs. She also makes a delightful fringed poncho. (SS)

18 Avril Mair
Avril Mair is the fashion features director of Harper’s Bazaar and Town & Country UK. Her career saw her reach top positions in publications such as i-D and Elle magazine. Her contribution has been recognised by the Scottish Fashion Awards which awarded her Scottish Communicator of the Year 2014. (SE)

17 Malcolm Edwards
Glasgow-born hair guru Malcolm Edwards is one of fashion’s leading stylists and he’s worked with Lady Gaga, Kate Moss, Cavalli and Armani. Edwards was awarded the Hall of Fame prize at the Scottish Fashion Awards in 2010. (SE)

16 Albert Watson
The one-eyed prince of Scottish photography. In his four decades at the top, Albert Watson, who was born without sight in one eye, has shot more than 250 Vogue covers. Not bad for someone who once said: “I was a photographer shooting fashion, not a fashion photographer.” Watson’s high-contrast graphic style, often in black and white, is instantly recognisable. He’s shot Kate Moss naked (on her 18th birthday, as it happens), Mick Jagger as a leopard, and campaigns for Prada, Chanel and Levi’s. His images are a sensuous swirl of sex and celebrity even now in his eighth decade. (TJ)

15 Patrick Grant
Originally from Edinburgh, Patrick Grant is the tailor and designer who conquered the high street. Since he resurrected the 19th-century label E Tautz in 2009 as a ready-to-wear brand, he’s become a fixture on TV as presenter of The Great Sewing Bee. He’s also spread his wings with Hammond & Co, a formalwear line for Debenhams. All this, plus he’s good looking too. Sickening, isn’t it? (TJ)

14 Harris Tweed Hebrides
This label is the main producer of Harris tweed – in other words, they’re a big deal. Producing the fabric for more than 100 years, the label is at the forefront of fashion and design. With an ethos of pride, skill and trust, Harris Tweed Hebrides is a pillar of Scottish culture. (SE)

13 John Byrne
Now that’s how to wear a cardigan! When it comes to Scottish style icons people go on about Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie, who is still rocking his 1980s indie kid look at the age of 54, or Gerard Butler and various actors because they’ve got a suit in their wardrobe, but that’s not style, that’s a uniform. No, if you want the real deal check out artist and playwright John Byrne, “Scotland’s most stylish man” according to our sister paper the Sunday Herald. And who are we to argue? (TJ)

12 David Lindsay 
Digital whiz David Lindsay joined Net-a-Porter in 2004 and designed the website which helped make it one of the top online designer fashion outlets. Embracing his Scottish roots, Lindsay is the co-director of the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival. (SE)

11 Alexander McQueen and Shetland
Sarah Burton’s recent campaign for Alexander McQueen is a homage to the spellbinding power of Scotland’s culture and landscape. Creative director Burton visited Shetland and was inspired by the rug weaving tradition, which has been passed down by women over the centuries, and which sees a man and a woman joining two halves of a rug together upon marriage. The collection displays a beautifully romantic aesthetic and garments feature patterns such as wild heather, cockle shells and sea birds, with a mixture of Shetland lace and wool. Key pieces were hand-knitted and embellished with brightly coloured crochet-knit circles. (SE)

10 Karen Mabon

Karen Mabon, 29, creates playful silk scarves and pyjamas, describing her style as “everyday lux kitsch”. From the Black Isle but based in Edinburgh, she has collaborated with the V&A, Anthropologie, Bloomingdales, Lush Cosmetics and DreamWorks Animation.

How did you get into this line of work?

I trained as a goldsmith at the Royal College in London but was clumsy and always better at drawing. I worked as a jewellery designer but decided I wanted to do something more playful.

What do you make?

I love Hermes and vintage scarves where it is about storytelling and souvenirs. I started off with a classic silk scarf, but now also do cashmere modal and wool for the winter and recently started doing printed sleepwear.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I love vintage Disney and science fiction, and a lot of my designs are inspired by imagining things like the inside of a chocolate factory or a cat wedding. I like the idea of it being a luxury product with a mix of high and low culture, the juxtaposition of taking something like a pound shop and printing it on silk.

Tell us a bit about working with DreamWorks Animation.

We did a collaboration for The Mummy with scarves inspired by ancient Egypt, we’re doing some merchandise for the new Despicable Me 3 film and also working on something for Trolls. I was in LA in November when someone from DreamWorks sent me a message inviting us in. Their head office is like a theme park: they have candy floss, slush puppies and a town clock.

What do you have in the pipeline?

We’re looking at expanding into a range of products including working with a stationary company in New York as well as doing printed leather and handbags.

Who would you most like to see wearing your scarves?

Sofia Coppola or Alexa Chung. I love creative women doing exciting things. Describe your design style in five words. Playful, nostalgic, colourful, fun and unexpected. (SS)

9 Tilda Swindon
Tilda Swinton approaches fashion in the same way she approaches her films – at an angle. Drawn to working with auteurs such as Jim Jarmusch and Luca Guadagnino in between the odd blockbuster, her style is equally leftfield; androgynous, architectural, minimalist. She turns up on red carpets wearing Haider Ackermann or Lanvin, has been the poster girl for Chanel and Pringle, and has become a sunglasses designer for Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster, for whom she doubles up as muse. Some day someone will combine her love of fashion and film. We reckon she’d make a great Yves Saint Laurent. (TJ)

8 Joe McKenna
When it comes to what’s what and who’s who in fashion, Kirkintilloch-born Joe McKenna is the man. Described as one of the most influential stylists of all time, he began at the Face magazine in London before moving to New York in 1986. McKenna has worked with Vanity Fair, Vogue and Rolling Stone, and collaborated with Calvin Klein. He published two issues of Joe’s magazine, a publication recognised for its artistic take on fashion in the 1990s, which are now collectors’ items. More recently McKenna was the fashion director at The New York Times Magazine. Following that, his recent work included styling Christopher Kane’s recent catwalk show, and Gucci’s Cruise campaign. He truly is living the dream. We’re not jealous at all … (SE)

7 Stella Tennant
Borders-raised and based, Stella Tennant puts the class into classic beauty. The granddaughter of the Duke of Devonshire and his wife Deborah, one of the infamous Mitford sisters, Tennant lives in a manor house with her French husband and four children. She first appeared in Vogue in 1992, a nose-ringed art student spotted by American photographer Steven Meisel. Next thing she knew Meisel was asking her to go to Paris for a Versace campaign and Karl Lagerfeld was signing her up as the new face of Chanel. Her androgynous good looks were in fashion in the 1990s and even now, at 46, she remains on the speed dial of many famous designers. A vision of elongated straight lines, she’s a Modigliani portrait made flesh. Of late she’s been branching out. She has teamed up with friend Isabella Cawdor, a former Vogue fashion editor, to design for Holland & Holland in a bid to reinvent the label’s country clothing. (TJ)

6 Connor Newall

When he’s got a night off Connor Newall will go out with his mates for a drink. They’ll play pool and talk about girls and football and work. The kind of things 18-year-old boys from Govan do. The difference is when they get up in the morning his friends head off to college or apprenticeships while Newall will probably head to Glasgow Airport. Being an up-and-coming male model does tend to rack up the air miles.

It’s Friday when we speak and Newall is not long back from New York working for Vogue Hommes. On Tuesday he’s off to Madrid to shoot 14 pages for GQ Spain, accompanied by a BBC documentary crew.

Today he’s in the offices of Model Team, his Glasgow agency, on a increasingly rare day off.

“I never expected anything like this to happen,” he says. “I thought I would do a few shoots for Primark.”

There’s Scottish self-deprecation. Truth is, he’s been modelling for Gucci, getting shot by Mert & Marcus, Boo George and Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia. That was the best experience, he says.

“There was a crew of 60 people, 20 on hair.”

Just for your hair, Connor?

“There were eight models,” he laughs. You can see why Meisel and everyone would be interested. His face is a symphony of sharp angles, his ears are design features and his skin tone is weegie pale, topped, today, by bleached blond hair. It’s a face you want to look at. He’s not tall for a model, just 5ft 10in. That is not typical.

“I work in a business where if you’re not 6ft 2in they won’t look at you,” his agent Michael O’Brien points out.

“But he has become a muse for so many amazing photographers. He looks so different in so many pictures.”

Newall’s father works in the Govan shipyards. His mum is a home help. He has a brother in the Black Watch. He was planning to join the army before he got the call from O’Brien. Within an hour of signing up he had an agent in London, interest from Paris and both GQ and Alexander McQueen had been on the phone.

“It was surreal.” Growing up he was “not a fashion guy”. He’s a Rangers fan surrounded by Celtic fans, kicking about in tracksuits and Nike. “I’ve started to be a bit more stylish. But not in a flashy way.”

Maybe, he says, he didn’t take it seriously enough to begin with.

“I’ve been a pain in the arse sometimes,” he says.

In what way?

“Being late to a shoot or not turning up to castings.”

But that was then. He’s more responsible now. He’s looking ahead, hoping to break into acting. He’s taking lessons with Peter Mullan’s brother.

If we were to come back in five years Connor, what would you like to have achieved?

“Hopefully an Oscar or a Bafta. Hopefully I’ll have been in a few good movies.” Watch this face. (TJ)

5 Sam McKnight
“Someone posted a picture on Facebook the other day of my mum and dad and all their mates and uncles and aunties, probably to go to the working men’s club. And it looked amazing,” Sam McKnight told The Herald Magazine last year.

“They were all in 1950s dresses and mohair suits. People are quite stylish in Scotland. There always was a great sense of style.”

McKnight, made in Ayrshire, should know. Since the 1980s he has been the stylist to the stars, a man whose fingers have preened, primped and pinned the hair of everyone from Princess Di to Lady Gaga.

His Twitter bio is, ahem, “Big Tease.”

McKnight has done editorial shoots, Lagerfeld catwalk shows, probably more Vogue covers than even Kate Moss and has his own hair products line.

Essentially, he says, his job is to make his models look like “the best version of herself”. A huge retrospective of his work has just finished at Somerset House in London. Maybe someone could bring it home. (TJ)

4 Jean Campbell
Jean Campbell is Scotland’s answer to model of the moment Gigi Hadid. With Rapunzel-esque blonde locks and a delicately beautiful face, she has become a favourite among the world’s top brands. Daughter of the 7th Earl of Cawdor, Campbell made her debut in 2013 shooting for British Vogue. Not a bad start for a fresh-faced model. She then had her high-fashion debut when Mario Testino shot her for Burberry. She has since taken to the catwalk for brands including Louis Vuitton and Fendi. A determined Scot, she has undergone two hip operations and, each time, had to relearn how to walk in heels. (SE)

3 Jonathan Saunders
Jonathan Saunders is one of the most exciting designers to come out of Scotland. Born in Glasgow, Saunders moved to London where he attended Central Saint Martin’s completing an MA in printed textiles. An instant success, his graduate collection was awarded the Lancome Colour Award and within 48 hours of showcasing his final MA collection he was snapped up by Alexander McQueen and commissioned to design prints. His bird-of-praise print was the focal point of McQueen’s 2003 and 2008 collections.

Following his stint at McQueen, Saunders worked under a succession of big names including Christian Lacroix at Pucci and Phoebe Philo at Chloe. He launched his self-titled label at London Fashion Week in 2003 and his work graced the cover of British Vogue in January 2004.

Tapping into mid-market fashion, Saunders has collaborated with US supermarket giant Target, Topshop and Debenhams.

In 2016 he announced the closure of his eponymous label. In true Saunders style, he didn’t let the closure slow him down as he was recently announced as the chief creative officer of Diane Von Furstenberg. He is almost certain to achieve great success in his new position. (SE)

2 Alister Mackie

When it comes time to do the inevitable Alister Mackie exhibition the first room should be a recreation of his teenage bedroom in Larbert.

A room painted black, a dark cell on to which Mackie was projecting his future. These days he is the creative director of Another Man magazine and a renowned stylist who consults for top brands. If you want to know who’s who and what’s what in menswear he’s your man.

Back in the 1980s he was an indie kid with posters of The Smiths on his wall, reading the music press and dreaming of London. The boy he was remains the man he is.

“What I do is still influenced by alternative cultures and the music scene,” he says.

Mackie has styled campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Prada, Christian Dior, Topman and many others. He uses the platform of Another Man to explore what he’s interested in. Alongside shoots from the likes of Nick Knight, Juergen Teller and Inez and Vinoodh, he wants to tell the story behind the fashion, to put “the clothing into context because the menswear story needs more context, I think. Ultimately the clothes do not change that much.”

Mackie studied at Glasgow School of Art before heading to London to do an MA at Central St Martins. When he started working on the magazine Dazed & Confused his interest in menswear began to catch the eye of designers.

He prepares for each issue of Another Man by creating a scrapbook of images that inspire him. He’ll look at movie posters, flyers, ephemera. And music, of course.

“I start always with record covers.” The visuals feed into the magazine and his consultancy work. He has seen the story of menswear come full circle. In the 1980s menswear was functional first and foremost.

“I used to work in Ichi Ni San in Glasgow in 1989, 1990, and that was the peak of that designer clothes time where people would literally save up for six months for a Vivienne Westwood leather jacket and they would wear it every Saturday night.

“It was a status thing. Then in the 1990s things were the opposite of that, a bit more androgynous. Then we have this huge brand building which became a runaway train and now that’s derailed somewhat and everything’s fractured and new stuff’s happening.”

Ask him about the best new menswear designers and he namechecks Loverboy designer Charles Jeffrey and Spanish label Palomo. But he expects you’ve already heard of them. “It happens super quick now. There is no underground any more.” Fade to black. (TJ)

1 Christopher Kane

Here’s the thing. Christopher Kane is only 34 years old. He has been at the cutting edge for more than a decade, making his mark with neon bondage dresses and endorsements from Anna Wintour and Donatella Versace in the early days to pimping crocs and covering cashmere with foil in his latest collection, inspired by factory workers and lab technicians.

The boy wonder is now a fixture of fashion, helped by the input from luxury goods group Kering, which bought a majority share in the business in 2013.

Before that Kane, from Newarthill in North Lanarkshire, was supplying goods out of his bedroom. Now he has a London store, has teamed up with Nars on makeup and, before that, with J Brand on accessories, and has the financial muscle to back his creativity. That backing has freed Kane, and his right-hand woman Tammy, his sister, to push the envelope of what fashion can be while never losing sight of the fact the craft matters too.

Back in the early years of Kane’s rise I remember sitting on his bed in east London while he told me about his ambitions, about who he wanted to see in his clothes and who he didn’t (he has never been one to mince his words). Draped in scarves and long hair he was an out-of-time hippie princeling. All these years later, he has grown up but not grown out of the desire to go his own way. Here, he tells us about his background and his ambitions.

Do you think your Scottishness feeds into your design and if so in what way?

The landscape of my childhood and my family has certainly had an influence. I love that I can call on certain characters from my childhood as a source of inspiration but, most importantly, it is the strong work ethic which was instilled in me from a young age. I was raised knowing that to succeed you have to work hard. I also think Scottish humour has got me a long way. I don’t take myself too seriously which is helpful when you can sometimes be surrounded by the rich and famous. I do not take anything for granted even after 10 years.

Now that you’ve achieved so much what does the word ambition mean to you?

I never wake up and think I can relax because of what I have achieved. I know that to achieve all of my dreams I have to work hard every day. You don’t get handed things in fashion – you have to find your place and defend it every season. My ambition is to see my business grow at a steady speed and open shops in major cities all over the world. In saying all that, as I’m a little older I realise the importance of family and friends. What’s the point of it all if you can’t spend time and enjoying life and what you have? (TJ)