Scottish Academy of Fashion

Image: Hannah Cumming, Edinburgh College of Art

Scotland has a worldwide reputation for higher education and for fashion and textile innovation and quality. The aim of the Scottish Academy of Fashion is to bring these sectors together to drive innovation through commercially relevant research and knowledge exchange.

Since receiving initial funding from the Scottish Funding Council, a range of fashion, design and technology-led projects have taken place with leading companies including Mackintosh, known around the world for its handmade raincoats and a true Scottish fashion success story. This successful product development project is now into its second phase with new designs to be unveiled at the showcase.

New commercial research is underway including a major project, The DNA of Cashmere, with leading cashmere yarn spinners, Todd & Duncan, that could lead to a major technical breakthrough for the cashmere industry. Todd & Duncan is also awarding a prize of £1,000 each and a two-week internship with the company, to the best three student collections shown.

Project Manager, and Chair of Scottish Textile Industry Association, David Breckenridge explains the aims of The Scottish Academy of Fashion: “We give industry direct access to expertise across the university sector and generate projects leading to real commercial benefits.

“We are a hub for Fashion in its broadest sense, a route into the interdisciplinary knowledge base in Scotland’s leading universities, whether directly fashion-related or in complementary areas of textiles, interior design, engineering or informatics.

“We are delighted to be staging the showcase in collaboration with New Media Scotland at The University of Edinburgh's Inspace, such an appropriately innovative space, and with the essential support of Creative Scotland.”

Creative Scotland

Caroline Parkinson, Director of Creative Development for Creative Scotland said: “The fashion and design sector is a dynamic contributor to Scotland's global reputation for high quality ideas. We aim to work with colleges, universities and creative enterprises to ensure that Scotland leads the way in new design methodologies. Our support for the Scottish Academy of Fashion Showcase is an investment in the talent of the future and we look forward to seeing some fascinating new collections.”

What is the Scottish Academy of Fashion?

The Scottish Academy of Fashion is developing Scotland as a global centre of excellence in fashion-related learning and commercially relevant research. It aims to attract the best national and international talent through collaborative industrial and academic research, knowledge exchange and networking.

Led by Edinburgh College of Art and Heriot-Watt University School of Textiles and Design the academy is a partnership between four other institutions: Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow Art School, Grays School of Art, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.

Open to the public

The Scottish Academy of Fashion Showcase is open to the public on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd July from 12 - 8pm at Inspace, 1 Crichton Street, Edinburgh.