Strathmore on the Runway: Dressed to Kilt

We are thrilled to have once again taken part in the Dressed to Kilt fashion show in New York City.

We were honoured to once again take part in Dressed to Kilt, the celebrated annual fashion show spotlighting the very best of Scottish heritage and design. The 2025 show took place on 5th April in the United States and featured an incredible lineup of Scottish-inspired fashion, with this year’s main sponsor being the Navy SEAL Foundation.

What is Dressed to Kilt?

Dressed to Kilt is the world’s largest and most prestigious Scottish fashion show, co-founded in 2003 by Sir Sean Connery and Dr. Geoffrey Scott Carroll.

Celebrating the fusion of Scottish heritage and contemporary style, the event has become a global phenomenon, renowned for its celebrity-filled runways and commitment to promoting Scottish culture.

Beyond fashion, Dressed to Kilt is dedicated to giving back, raised significant sums for charitable causes throughout the years.

The show has been held in various notable venues, including New York City, Washington D.C., Houston, and Toronto, each time bringing Scottish flair to an international audience.

Learn more about the show via their website here!

Strathmore Takes the Stage

This year, we were commissioned to produce an exclusive weave of the US Navy SEAL Foundation tartan, due to the main beneficiary of this years show was to be the Navy SEAL Foundation.

From the bespoke tartan, our team created a full ensemble of garments and accessories, all designed and hand-finished in our in-house workroom here in Forfar.

For the Navy SEAL representative, Shane McKenzie, we created a traditional 8 yard kilt with matching flashes and fly plaid.

We were also asked to create a ladies outfit to take to the catwalk. Prior to this, the tartan had only ever been used for kilt making so this was something truly special. Our team set about creating a wonderful two-piece outfit comprising of a floor length skirt and halter style top.

72 Hours from Fabric to Finish

We received the bespoke cloth on Friday morning and had everything cut, sewn, finished, and shipped by Monday lunchtime — a turnaround that truly showcased the flexibility, skill, and dedication of our in-house production team.

A special shout out to;

Hannah, our Sales and Marketing Coordinator, who designed and made the entire ladies’ outfit with the help of Christine creating the matching accessories, all within the tight time frame.

Meanwhile, Tamra, our Production Coordinator and Handsewn kiltmaker, brought the kilt to life with expert hand sewing, ensuring impeccable quality and finish despite the fast turnaround.

Alison D, our in house seamstress worked her magic and prodused the kilt accessories in record time to help us meet this fast approaching deadline!

And to the rest of our team, your skill, dedication, and ability to pull together something so special under pressure is truly appreciated. We couldn’t have done it without you!

A Continuing Partnership with Dressed to Kilt

This isn’t the first time we’ve supported the Dressed to Kilt showcase…

In 2023, we donated fabric in our Afghanistan Tartan to support the show’s fundraising efforts for The Afghan Female Tactical Platoon, a cause close to that year’s mission.

In 2024, we proudly collaborated with several Canadian fashion students, supplying 100% wool tartan from our range for them to design unique Scotland-inspired garments for the Dressed to Kilt Canadian debut!

📸 We’ve included an image gallery below to share highlights from all three years — scroll through to see how our tartan has been brought to life on the runway.