By Vincent Gibson
There can be few countries which have such an instantly recognisable and visible heritage as Scotland. With tartan, clans, castles and whisky, the distant past could potentially limit the modern day relevance.
However, if any country can take over a city such as New York, with its 200 competing nationalities for one full week every year as Scotland does, there can be no concerns about it being a brand which is alive, well and vibrant in the 21st Century.
A cool, quirky, young and creative image of Scotland
The wide use of tartan in Paris, London and Milan fashion weeks has shown that modern takes on historical fabrics have a strong place in the repertoire of the world's leading fashion designers; Vivienne Westwood and the late Alexander McQueen stand out in this regard.
But, back in New York, there is one event where Scotland's creative output monopolises the runway for the full night, attracting contributions from the best of Scotland's designers, producers and retailers. As part of (marketwatch.com) that culminates in the Tartan Day Parade through the streets of Manhattan, for the past nine years Dressed To Kilt has been both a glitzy showcase of the nation's creative talents in fashion and music and a significant fundraiser for Scottish charities.
Dr. Geoffrey Scott Carroll, Borders-born founder of the event, talks here about why the event was created and the ambition to show Scotland as a modern 21st Century brand. Why does the event continue to attract the energies and patronage of a wide range of celebrities from Sean Connery to Donald Trump, with a few New York Giants quarterbacks thrown in?
Dressed to Kilt
Dr. Geoffrey Scott Carroll, Borders-born co- founder of the event, talks here about why the event was created and the ambition to show Scotland as a modern 21st Century brand. An exclusive peek at the spooky Hallowe'en film Innes created in the show. The Ö÷²¥´óÐã One Scotland TV trail for River City's Christmas Show.
