The Winning EntryLast night saw Scotland’s most glittering event in living memory… well, mine anyway… when around six hundred of the world’s most glamorous… plus me… saw the winner announced of the Bringing Home the Tartan! design competition. Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Paul Smith - they were all there. Seldom have I shared a room with such smart clobber.

For any of you less fortunates, perhaps stuck in Novosibirk or even Edinburgh, Tristan da Cunha, where global fashionista buzz may fail to, well, buzz, or who were unable to beg, steal, or borrow a red hot ticket for a show A-Listers will recall with reverence for years, you may need reminding that this was the competition promoted by the National Archives of Scotland to mark the launch of its official Scottish Register of Tartans. Entries flooded in by the dozen (indeed three figures, I heard) from all over the world of Scottish art schools. And by all accounts, a jolly fine lot they were.

The Creator Ms MacIverBut as with any such Great Race, a winner must emerge, and rise to tower frothily above the rest. And in this case first prize went to Heriot-Watt University’s Maxine MacIver for a close-fitting catsuit from her Melvina collection. So hearty congratulations Maxine. I’m certain the feline community will think it just purrfect.

Katherine the Quite GoodKatherine Butler, also from ‘the Watt’ ran up in second place with a sort-of-male outfit for everyday workwear, or perhaps just slopping about in your typical minimalist steel-and-glass loft apartment, entitled Urban Reiver. Personally I can see her collection filling the terraces of every football stadium in the country before long, as the look catches on. What do you think?

The show did in fact feature a few finalists that might be worn by mere mortals from time to time, some of which looked rather fabulous. Though clearly not fabulous enough to wow the judges. Bad luck guys. But console yourself that you may have a future in clothing design.

Seriously, it was a great night, and major congratulations are due to all involved.