Loud and rebellious tartan is all set to make a statement on the catwalk

The Trump family name is not usually associated with high fashion. So news that the tartan associated with the clan of Donald Trump’s Scottish mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, has appeared in one of the biggest campaigns this season might be met with raised eyebrows.

Known colloquially as “loud MacLeod” for its vibrant yellow and black colours, a variation of the Lewis MacLeod clan pattern has been used on a Balenciaga skirt and shot as part of a series of ironic paparazzi images, which captures models climbing out of cabs and exiting restaurants in mocked-up moments of surprise. Balenciaga was recently named the most influential label in the world by Lyst, the global fashion search website.

Variations of this pattern are a familiar sight in fashion, sported by singers Rihanna and Justin Bieber, and by Alicia Silverstone in hit film Clueless, and, of course, on Ivanka, MacLeod’s granddaughter. Indeed, tartan as a pattern is a “perennial of fashion” says Brian Wilton, a tartan expert formerly of the Scottish Register of Tartans.

But given Balenciaga’s use of Bernie Sanders’s political logo last season, it marks a shift in how fashion is using this historic pattern as more of a statement than a mere fabric.

Glasgow-born designer Charles Jeffrey is known for “drunken” tailoring and theatrical shows for his Loverboy label. He has just launched his first womenswear collection, including a green tartan check suit. It’s inspired by his homeland – “there’s a lot of looking back where I come from,” he says. An accompanying film shows women singing over the “fulling”, or cleaning, of wool.

Source: theguardian