Family, tradition and loyalty were the inspirations behind Samantha McCoach’s collection – although the styling wasn’t quite so homely.
Latex gloves and belts added a punk-ish feel, transforming an otherwise good girl uniform of berets, knitwear and pleated skirts into one with a darker edge. Among the standout kilts was calf-length one with a mix of Black Watch, Wallace Red and Mod Scott paneling.
“The general feel is it’s a modern uniform, but it’s not meant to be revolutionary,” said the designer who also worked with knitwear this season. She said it was home-felted in her kitchen after a washing machine mishap.
Sanquhar and argyle knits were part of the offer, a grey, orange and black argyle knit v-neck jumper adding to the punk-ish school-girl feel. The traditional two-colour sanquhar technique hails from a “burgh” in Scotland. “Each square is actually designed for a duke or a queen who would come to the burgh hundreds of years ago. It’s very traditional.” One vest featuring the Sanquhar technique came in a hot pink and white with a black base.
Silhouettes, nipped at the waist and figure-hugging, had a Sixties feel. models leaned against huge stacked cubes printed with pictures of Twiggy-like eyes, pouting lips and lingerie.
She also introduced denim dresses and skirts via a collaboration with the London-based Blackhorse Lane Ateliers. A fitted dark indigo denim shirt dress with a latex harness belt on the chest was a particularly strong look. She said she wanted to complement the timeless pieces she’s already offering to her loyal customers.
