Scottish designer's trendy kilts shaking up tradition

EDINBURGH, Scotland — A revolution is afoot at one of Scotland's most venerable kilt-makers: Among traditional tartans there are hip versions in denim, camouflage, leather and, for the adventurous, see-through pink plastic.

Howie Nicholsby has dressed celebrities such as Madonna and British pop sensation Robbie Williams, as well as local hipsters who wear his creations to Edinburgh's trendiest bars and nightclubs.

Amid the bustle of his basement workshop on Edinburgh's medieval Royal Mile, Nicholsby pauses to explain his philosophy.

"I'm not so much a designer as a radical evolutionist," he said. "I've taken the kilt back to its origins ... and made it an everyday piece of clothing."

Only one man stands in the 28-year-old's path to world domination in the line of hip kilts: his father, Geoffrey, who heads the family business, Geoffrey (Tailor).

Nicholsby explains his father's reaction to his first fashion kilt and doublet jacket, in silver snakeskin pattern, which he hand-stitched 10 years ago.

"He hated it and my mum, Morna, was not impressed either," recalls the designer. "Both of them thought, 'There is nothing in this.' They saw no sales in it. I was just 18 years old and made it for a family wedding.

"Well, I'm still doing it today. I sometimes wish I'd kept it separate from the family business. I want to roll this out with shops in New York, Tokyo, Sydney and other hip cities, but I get vetoed by my dad."

That first kilt hangs in Nicholsby's office. In the shop there are row upon row of extravagantly designed kilts and jackets, from blue camouflage and orange silk to more conservative pinstripe and gray tweed.

Geoffrey (Tailor) employs more than 50 people, including 40 tailors and seamstresses who work in a mill in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle.

Off-the-rack prices start at $450 for a denim kilt, with the custom range going up to $2,500 for a black leather number complete with a thunderbolt kilt pin — as worn by film star Vin Diesel at the MTV Europe music awards in 2003.

Nicholsby — who calls his side of the family business 21st Century Kilts — leads by example. "I've not worn trousers on a regular basis for more than seven years. I wear a kilt every day, from a casual black woolen one to pinstripe for more formal events."

Geoffrey Nicholsby's family business has been at the forefront of kilt innovation since it was established in 1971 and he has also had his fair share of glamour, dressing Sean Connery, Mel Gibson, Charlton Heston and Bo Derek.

"It's not fair to say I don't like Howie's designs," he said. "I like them, especially the pinstripes, camouflage and the grays. It's just that Howie gets very excited by them, and I have to remind him that we do traditional kilts, too."