Horror films and the Philippines inspire tartan designs

Craig Taylor and Kayleigh Wyllie will see their work used in the end of term fashion show

New tartans inspired by themes including horror movies and the Philippines have been designed by students at Heriot-Watt University's School of Textiles and Design in the Borders.

Garments made with the designs - which are printed on various types of fabric - will be part of the degree show staged by final year students in Galashiels later this year.

The school is a centre of excellence in design and dates back to 1883, when classes in weaving, dyeing and chemistry were introduced to train workers for the textiles industry.

The new tartan garments will go on show between 10:00 and 16:00 daily between 17 and 21 May.

One of the new tartans celebrates Scotland and the Philippines

The Borders is at the heart of Scotland's luxury textile and design industry and has a long history of textile production.

Honorary graduates of the school of textiles and design include designer Jasper Conran, the late fashion icon Dame Vivienne Westwood and retail expert Mary Portas.

Among the fourth-year students whose work will be on show are Craig Taylor and Kayleigh Wyllie.

Craig, 26, from Beith in North Ayrshire, has created designs inspired by the work of British horror movie writer and director Clive Barker.

Craig's tartan was inspired by the work of Clive Barker

He said: "One of the big inspirations for Clive Barker's film, Hellraiser, was punk subculture and wearing tartan was one of the hallmarks of this movement.

"I also looked at the queer side of Barker's work and the idea of liberation."

He said his design included an upside-down pink triangle which originated in Nazi Germany to shame gay men in concentration camps but has since been reappropriated as a positive symbol of self-identity.

Kayleigh, 22, is from Glenrothes in Fife, but was born in the Philippines and moved to Scotland when she was seven.

She wanted to create a tartan design that reflected both Filipino and Scottish cultures and also commemorated her Scottish father, who moved from Scotland to live in the Philippines and died in 2009.

"My dad and granddad often wore kilts at special events like weddings and funerals, so it was nice to create my own tartan just to pay homage to those two men," she said.

"My tartan design includes a navy colour from a kilt my granddad wore to my auntie's wedding.

"For a personal touch, I've also included my dad's handwriting. I got this from his university papers and have inserted his last name, Wyllie, as repeated parallel lines of text."