Retail & Exhibition

Located along our "Princes Street" walkway, running 130m along the Thames, are some of Scotland's most luxurious and famous brands. Guaranteed to pique interests; separate pavilions will house retailers and exhibitors, including a farmers up-market, food and drink, fashion, home and lifestyle, tourism, leisure and travel. Our " Princess Street" represents some of the finest Scottish brands.

For more information on retailing or exhibiting at The London Gathering, call Jacqui @ The London Gathering on 020 7710 6915 or e-mail, retail@thelondongathering.com

This year Johnstons celebrate 210 years in business and have this month opened a £2million Courtyard development housing their new state of the art heritage centre and home shop. It is no small wonder that cashmere is one of the most precious and prized commodities in the world. It comes from the downy underfleece of the cashmere goat which makes its home in the highest and most inhospitable plateaux of Mongolia. Each year one goat produces a meager 4.5ox (125 grams) of underfleece, which is painstakingly combed out every spring by nomadic herdsmen.

It takes the hair of one goat to make a scarf, 2 to make a ladies sweater, 3 for a man’s and at least 24 for an overcoat. Our flagship mill at Elgin in the northeast of Scotland, is unique. It’s the only mill in Britain to transform cashmere from raw fibre to finished article. To say something is 100% cashmere is only the beginning of the story. What sets Johnstons apart is the workmanship which goes into everything we produce whether it is tweeds, cashmere, merino wool or lambswool.

Our cashmere goes through 30 different exacting processes, each of them watched over by the latest generation of Elgin and Hawick craftsmen, ensuring that only the finest and longest fibres make it through the production process, so we can be sure the end product will be as soft and downy as can be.

At every stage whether it is a scarf, blanket or sweater – our products are checked for the tiniest of imperfections. Finally to remove any remaining impurities we wash each garment in the same soft highland water that is used to make the worlds finest whiskies. Some say it is the softness of the water that makes Johnstons cashmere feel so special.

Joyce will be launching her new brand Tartan Spirit at The London Gathering.

Joyce Young has been a fahsion designer since graduating from the Glasgow school of art in 1975. After gaining experience in the fashion industry, she launched her award-winning business ByStorm, in Glasgow, to cater for modern brides and mothers of the bride looking for something stylish and a little less formal than traditional dresses. Many of her dresses are also suitable as evening gowns.

Designs by Joyce Young will be showcased at The London Gathering on 8 and 9 September.

Words - Mary Hind and Caroline Lindsay, Sunday Post.

21st Century Kilts (TFCK) launched in 1999 at London mens fashion week.

Over the years the brand has grown worldwide. Featured in numerous travel, fashion, topical programmes and magazines. 21st Century Kilts has even been used by VisitScotland to project a younger, funkier image of Scotland at home and abroad, an image of my friends and I drinking a pint outside a local Edinburgh pub in our kilts even appeared in NYC Subways as part of their campaign. We also enjoyed international coverage in a magazine called Vman after a photoshoot with the world famous photographer; Mario Testino. 17 male models all in 21st Century Kilts, pictured on the streets of London.

“The kilt has evolved for thousands of years. Worn by Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Vikings and Brits.” Through this sort of support and publicity I feel we have truly established 21st Century Kilts as a world brand and an accepted evolution of the kilt in the 21st century. Leading the market in quality alternative clothing for men.

Harris Tweed Collection

The bags come in three colours; Reef, Kilda (black/silver) and Machair Green retailing for £99 and the new collection endorses the company's vision of marrying function, fashion and sensual materials to make bags that look and feel superb making the range a truly covetable fashion classic. Harris Tweed is renowned world-wide for its craftsmanship and quality and the Harris Tweed Collection’s brand backbone is a line of luxury bags that combine stylish, stand-out design with the finest leathers and detailing. The silver lined interior and multi interior pockets also make the bag wonderful for easy rummaging.

September 2007, The Healthy Back Bag Company gives its own brand of street sass to Harris Tweed in launching a limited edition collection of Harris Tweed bags.

The Harris Tweed Collection combines the timeless essence of a classic fabric with high end design values in a range of luxury bags blended with edgy chic to create a modern and exciting collection.

Trendy and urban has taken hold of tweed territory, once the domain of hunting, shooting and fishing and Tweed is the choice of cutting edge fashionistas, ladies about town, high profile designers and Hollywood stars alike.

Vibrant and beautifully detailed, the range has an immediate impact. These sumptuous fabrics, rich in heritage, evoke the natural environment of the Isle of Harris which inspires the weaver, Donald John Mackay, one of the last remaining handweavers on the islands. As many as 30 individual colours are included in the yarn, producing a unique depth and complexity of colour, reflected in the sea blues of “Reef” through the grassy dunes of “Machair Green” to the black and grey rocks of “Kilda”. Combined with full grain leather trim and detailing, the bags are truly covetable fashion classics - each bag will include both the Harris Orb label, certifying that the fabric is dyed and handwoven in the Outer Hebrides and the label of the weaver Donald John Mackay.

The traditional teardrop-shaped bag is both uber-hip and practical, contouring naturally to the body. The signature silver interior ensures stress-free rummaging, and the cleverly thought-out pockets for mobile, blackberry, pens, keys, documents, cosmetics etc deliver hidden functionality, providing the wearer with their own personal piece of organized luxury.

Priscilla Chase, Healthy Back Bag Company, UK Managing Director, said: “With the increasing popularity and timeless nature of Tweed, it was a natural development for The Healthy Back Bag Company to expand the line and incorporate the top quality Tweed into the new collection. The Harris Tweed Collection is built on transitional pieces that can work on warm Autumn days through to the chills of January”

The Harris Tweed Collection retails at £99 and will be available from September 2007 from a limited number of UK retailers. Full details on the website and the collection can also be purchased online at www.thehealthybackbag.co.uk or by calling 020 7812 9800.