Looks like there is now an opportunity for one woman in each of five countries to be the proud owner of a Saltire gown so if you have the money better get to the site real quick to get your order in. Would sure be interested to see if the Canadian buyer will appear in it at the Tartan Day Dinner in Toronto next year :-)

Thistle & Broom’s Saltire Gown a ‘Headliner’ by Spencer Railton

Couture dress to benefit Gaelic organisation

Glasgow—16 September 2005—Today Glasgow native and couture gown designer Spencer Railton became the latest artisan to join Scottish luxury goods purveyor Thistle & Broom. His initial offering is a mere five couture Saltire Gowns exclusively for Thistle & Broom. The original dress was commissioned as a one-off for T&B’s launch at Dressed to Kilt as worn by Kelly Cooper-Barr.

“In design work, there are two types of products, ready-to-wear and what I call ‘headliners’”, said designer Spencer Railton. “When I was first approached to design the gown, I knew it had to be representative of the Thistle & Broom brand—luxurious, unique and a definite ‘Headliner.’”

“The Saltire Gown is such a glorious statement of national pride, and we all feel so fortunate to have created something that evokes such ‘bragging rights’ for Scots the world over” said Teresa Fritschi, managing director and chief creative officer of T&B. “Spencer created a bit of an icon in fashioning it for us, there is an overwhelmingly positive response to it every time it has been worn in a public venue. We are obviously thrilled that Spencer has agreed to make the gowns and that five women, someplace in the world, might be wearing the Saltire Gown to this season’s St. Andrew’s Day, Hogmanay and Burns’ Night celebrations.”

The gown has been featured in several publications globally as worn by Cooper-Barr and Katie Targett-Adams. The gown is made from three of T&B’s exclusive St. Andrew's Cross, Adapted throws, and offered in a choice of cashmere or lambs wool. It is adorned with white feather butterflies; blue and white feather plumes; rhinestones and blue satin lacing for the boned corset. The underskirt is blue cotton and netting. A companion shawl completes the ensemble. Limited to the first individual to order from Scotland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, the sale of each Saltire Gown will benefit Fèisean nan Gàidheal. Each gown will be made to the buyers’ specific measurement and will take approximately eight weeks to complete.

About Thistle & Broom

Edinburgh-based Thistle & Broom was founded in 2004 to serve as a cooperative luxury brand for artists, craftspeople and small manufactories which produce products made in Scotland, whilst providing direct access to often times impossible to source one-of-a-kind goods. Thistle & Broom donates eight percent of its pre-tax profits from every product sold through its web site to carefully selected charitable organizations, which serve to preserve, protect or restore elements of Scotland's culture, history and wild spaces. For more information, please visit: http://www.thistleandbroom.com.

View the gown at
http://www.thistleandbroom.com/shopping/apparel/wool/saltire-gown.htm