MEET THE NICOLSONS

Words by Louise Nicolson

There's a real sense of serendipity to our recent connection with SSEAMS We share a number of mutual associates but had never yet crossed paths with Diane & the team until an instagram post prompted conversation, immediately shining a light on our common thinking and comparable aspirations We share more than goals to revive certain sectors of Scottish manufacturing; we share a compulsion to make it happen

At GNKfamily, our main business is kiltmaking Our wee clan of associated craft businesses has evolved to encompass the retail of authentic highlandwear, sustainable gifts & accessories, as well as traditional bagpipe making Yet at our source, kilt making by hand, developing and teaching those skills, remains fundamental

It has taken us a while to get where we are – to the point of feeling that finally finally we are achieving what we always aimed for, but as our in-house Edinburgh Kiltmakers Academy reaches its eighth year of operation, we can see that the successes of our graduates are heralding tangible change within the Highlandwear Industry Kiltmaking is coming out of the shadows, into the spotlight and it’s EXCITING!

So, how did we get here?

Gordon & I met at work, in Liberty of London Edinburgh branch, way back when it was a landmark on George Street Gordon arrived there from a highlandwear background, whereas I had just fledged from the Scottish College of Textiles

We both were feeling frustration however at the parallel upsurge in low-quality, imported goods and the demise of UK- based manufacturing When an opportunity arose to strike out alone, Gordon seized it, sensing the chance to build an enterprise which could celebrate our National Dress, protect & develop heritage craft skills and raise the standards of handsewn kiltmaking

Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers was born, and as we continue to grow, we like to keep it real We work with suppliers who are experts in their field and based as locally as possible Our cloth, for example, is woven in Scotland by world-leading mills who have survived by challenging the boundaries of their craft whilst cherishing generations of inherited knowledge. We trust their quality. We understand their constraints. And we applaud their technical progress whilst rebuilding sustainability back into their methods and materials.

We are proud of the working relationships that we have built and of the results of our combined labours, but we want to take it further We don’t want to make just kilts and gents highlandwear, we want to make ladies garments too And we want to make them in Scotland Sustainably We don’t want to deviate from our core principles of craftsmanship, original design and valued heritage, we need to ensure we work with compatible teams

So, we were pretty enthused when that recent post on instagram caught our attention A post highlighting positive dialogue and collaboration within areas of clothing technology and manufacturing, in Scotland. A conversation has begun, let's see where it takes us!