Malcolm Campbell at Dress to Kilt, New York

The annual Dress to Kilt event in New York has established itself as a prominent international showcase for Scottish dress, bringing together designers, makers and advocates of tartan within a contemporary fashion setting. While its presentation is deliberately modern—often theatrical—the foundation of the event remains rooted in the material culture of cloth: weaving, pattern, colour and construction.

Among this year’s participants was Malcolm Campbell, celebrated textile designer and maker, and Managing Director of the Cloth of Kings.

Malcolm Campbell is currently President of the Bradford Textile Society, and a member of Huddersfield Textile Society. A Scot who came into the Huddersfield textile industry in 1976 aged 22, and now heading the Bradford Society, Malcolm has many claims to fame including being the author of “Malcolm the Weaver” books for children. However, we are mainly interested in the story of the Callanish tartan which featured in the Dress to Kilt show.

The Callanish Tartan

Malcolm wearing the beautiful Callanish tartan

The Callanish Tartan was designed for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Malcolm and based on the Balmoral tartan. It was inspired by the natural colours of The Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis.

The Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis which inspired the Callanish Tartan

At first glance, Dress to Kilt might appear distant from traditional textile industries in Scotland and Yorkshire. It is a fashion-led event, often featuring reinterpretations of Highland dress in ways that prioritise visual impact over strict adherence to tradition.

However, that contrast is precisely what makes Campbell’s participation relevant.

Events like this depend—whether explicitly acknowledged or not—on a technical inheritance:

• The ability to produce stable, repeatable tartan cloth

• The accumulated knowledge of dyeing and colour matching

• The structural logic of the tartan design developed over generations

Without this foundation, tartan becomes surface decoration rather than a textile system.

Campbell’s presence therefore signals something important: it is not only design and passion which powers great fabrics but also technical understanding and a knowledge of heritage.

Well done, Malcolm!