Perth, the home of the College of Master Kilt Tailors (CMKT)  became the first city in the UK to be named as a UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art. The College was one of four arts to front the successful application.

Marion Foster is one of Scotland’s few remaining kilt tailors who focus on the craft of tailoring as opposed to carrying out a process or manufacturing. Marion’s creative business is “Askival of Strathearn” and she founded “The College of Master Kilt Tailors” in 2021 when the training course was successfully awarded accreditation.

After years of developing her tailoring knowledge and skills, creating kilts to the very highest standards, Marion recognised that the craft, knowledge, methodology, and processes that she had meticulously mastered over many years were endangered and must be safeguarded. If this were to happen it would be a devastating blow to Scotland’s cultural landscape and legacy. 

Passing on an intangible heritage craft is not an easy achievement, especially when many aspiring kilt tailors are descended from the Scottish diaspora spread across the world and treasure their heritage.  Using her experience from her previous professional lives, she had the transferable knowledge and skills she can pass on the craft in an efficient, accessible, and affordable way which she calls “The 3 Ways”.

In setting up the College, her hope and belief are that by offering this type of training, resulting in accreditation to demonstrate their achievement and mastery combined with membership of The College of Master Kilt Tailors, students will be entitled to carry the protected mark, Member of the College of Master Kilt Tailors (MCMKT).

Tourist group interactive workshops Р“The Tartan and The KiltSaturday 31st s Story” Рcan be arranged. 

1. The Tartan and the Cloth 

*Discover the origins of the tartan, the relics discovered and reproduced, the “fall and rise” of the tartan, and how it is associated with the Scottish heritage.

*Learn about the influences that affected the tartan and the kilt

*Find out about the Tartan and the Kilt in action, the part it played in the Highland Regiments. What was it like to wear during the extreme conditions?

*Tartan today – nationally and internationally.

*The Tartans – Look at, touch, and discuss Learn about the tartan cloth, range and variations of tartans; the different weights of cloth; and clan setts which are available in different styles and use of colours.

*See how versatile and magical the tartan can be in the art of kilt tailoring and in tartan design.

2. The Kilt 

The Evolution of the Kilt

*From the: saffron shirt, great and little kilt, 

The Art and Craft of the traditional tailored kilt 

*Safeguarding the Endangered Craft of Kilt Tailoring

*Understand the different types of kilt constructions for the different markets i.e. bespoke tailored kilt, “made to measure”, and manufactured kilt.

*The traditional plaids worn with the kilt

*The Tartans – Look at, touch, and discuss: Kilt tailoring and why it is constructed the way it is; the maths; the theory, the intuition; the variations of pleating

*How to tell a well-made tailored kilt and how it should fit.