Jacket

Tartan wool suit, 1994, designed by Helen Storey. Tartan has been part of the fashionable wardrobe since the early 19th century. It is also a badge of Scotland's national identity and a symbol of kinship. For many Scots, wearing tartan, particularly during the period when the Disarming Act of 1745 banned it, was a political statement and a gesture of defiance. Vivienne Westwood picked up on its confrontational and subversive associations when she designed tartan bondage trousers to sell to the punks. In later collections she explored its more romantic connotations, using it as a vehicle for swaggering display.

This suit, designed by Helen Storey, matches a mini-kilt with a close fitting jacket that is longer at the back than the front. The back is made from four panels cut with increasing fullness towards the hem creating a flared effect over the lower back. The full-length sleeves have turned back cuffs.

Helen Storey trained at Kingston Polytechnic and worked for Valentino, Lancetti and Bellville Sassoon before launching her own label with partners in 1983. From 1990-1995 she worked under her own name.