Meet the makers
We sat down with Katie, the creative director of Kiltane, to chat about her favourite Edinburgh spots and to learn more about the inspiration and vision behind the brand.
1. What is your favourite part of Edinburgh?
I have lived in Edinburgh for over 20 years, and have stayed in most neighbourhoods. Most recently Leith, specifically on the border of New Town. It was spot on, all the best restaurants and shops on the doorstep, and a colourful mixture of locals old and young. With three children and a keen interest in architecture, we recently moved to East Lothian after falling in love with a unique mid-century property.
Lucky for us it is only 30 minutes from our favourite city centre haunt. And the house was worth the move.
2. Where are your favourite spots in Edinburgh?
Spry for a glass of wine, and Timberyard for a special occasion. But Taco’s and Margaritas are the real way to my heart, I’ll pick The Basement on Broughton Street, it’s dark so no one can see how many Frozen Margaritas you’ve actually consumed.
3. What is the fundamental principle of Kiltane?
Founded in Edinburgh, we like to believe we are naturally woven into the lives of people who live here. Our garments are based on locals, how they dress, where they go... Us Scots, particularly on the east side of the country can ‘enjoy’ up to four seasons in one day, so need to be prepared to dress for this!
We are so lucky to live in one of the world’s most beautiful and historic cities, so it would be madness not to be inspired by this, the colours, textures, and landscapes around us.
4. What is important to Kiltane when releasing a collection?
If we are going to put something into this world, we believe that we should make it of value.
That’s why we build our collections carefully, releasing only two a year and always a curation of classic styles. The idea is that these styles can be worn across seasons and together, we hope that the collections complement one another meaning nothing should ever go ‘out of fashion.’
All our garments are also made from one of the most hard-wearing yet softest yarns, that should bring longevity to every piece. We hope that this approach offers customers the best value by creating something to be worn for years.
Our products are made to be worn year-round. We want the world to wear what we make, not fold it up for a special occasion.
