STYLE GAME WELL PLAID Nov 19 2006
Three Highland dress experts explain their secrets of success
JANET EAGLETON, SPORRAN MAKER
HOLLYWOOD superstar Samuel L. Jackson was so impressed by Janet Eagleton's work he invited her to the wrap party for his movie.
Janet, who runs a kiltmaking business in Perth with son Marcus, made the sporran for Jackson's gangster in the film 51st State.
The Job: My business is called Janet Eagleton MBE & Son. Our sporrans take anything from three hours to a week to make.
How I did it: My father was a saddler and my grandfather was a shoemaker so I used to practice making things with their equipment.
I started making sporrans from my bedroom and it snowballed from there. As more people heard about the sporrans it got impossible, so I moved into a caravan at the back of the house. I launched the business in 1981 and moved into a portakabin. That's when Major McKinnel from the Black Watch Regiment approached me and asked me if I could make a hair sporran for him.
I have had the exclusive contract for the Black Watch for 20 years and recently made a prototype sporran for the New Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The most expensive kilt I have done cost £10,000 but we do them as cheaply as £30.
"I have done a few films including The Queen, where I made the sporran for James Cromwell who played Prince Philip.
I also made Vin Diesel's sporran when he did the MTV awards in Edinburgh. Sam Jackson looked great in his kilt and he was so delighted he called me to invite me to his party and sent me a big bottle of champagne.
Perks: It's lovely when you get positive feedback from customers.
Five-year plan: Marcus is making some amazing sporrans and has even done ones for Victoria Beckham, Billy Connolly and Edith Bowman.
Tips: It takes years of experience before you know what you are doing and I am still learning things to this day.
MARGARET STRUTH-GAFF, KILTMAKER
MASTER kiltmaker Margaret, 47, left school at 16 and took just two and a half years to complete an apprenticeship that normally takes five-years.
Margaret started a new life in Canada and is now one of the most respected kiltmakers in North America.
The Job: I run the operation for Burnetts & Struth based in a town called Barrie near Ontario.
We have 25 employees including 14 kiltmakers - three of whom are Scots.
How I did it: I always enjoyed sewing so when I left school at 16 my aunt introduced me to Kinloch Anderson, the Highland dress firm in Edinburgh.
I got through my apprenticeship in half the time it normally takes.
One of my first jobs was making kilts for dummies of Princes Charles, Prince Philip and John Brown for the Edinburgh Wax Museum.
I came to Canada after answering an advert for kiltmakers.
The company had been going for 10 years and were working from home. We won big contracts with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Police and had to move to 9000sqft premises.
It takes time to make each kilt.
I charge between $590 and $900 depending on the tartan. There are over 4000 patterns.
Perks: I travel all over the world giving demonstrations and have been to places like Japan, China and Alaska.
Five-year plan: Canada is my home now. Tips: Patience is allimportant and you need to be good at working with your fingers.
You need speed with a tailor's thimble because it takes 10 hours to do a typical kilt.
MARK GIBSON, MARKETING DIRECTOR
MARK's decision to get Ewan McGregor into one of Lochcarron's kilts and on to the front pages spawned a legion of celebrity kilties.
The 49-year-old has made kilts for Sir Sean Connery, David Coulthard, and Vivienne Westwood.
The job: I am the marketing director for Lochcarron of Scotland.
How I did it: I started in design spending four years at the Scottish College of Textiles. I spent a short time in knitwear production, fabric sales and then went abroad on a two year scholarship in Japan.
During that time I worked for the largest clothing company in the world at that time called Renown. After returning from Japan I went to London and established Lochcarron's London Office and main showroom in Savile Row.
Before we moved here, my wife asked me who I would most like to have wear our kilts and my instant reply was Ewan McGregor.
By that evening she had arranged for us to go and measure him for his first of many Lochcarron kilts. That was, in a way, the start of the whole celebrity Dressed To Kilt phenomenon.
Now my clients include Sir Sean Connery, Dougray Scott, James McAvoy and First Minister Jack McConnell. This list doesn't include non-Scots such as Samuel L Jackson and Forest Whitaker's kilt in the new film Last King Of Scotland.
Perks: I am just back from New York. Last month it was Los Angeles and I'm off to Tokyo next week!
Five-year plan: I want to take the company to an entirely new level. The next five years are going to be fun and fireworks.
Tips: Marketing is either in your blood or not. The best tip I can give anyone in this field is be truthful.
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