Weaving her way into history: Heriot-Watt student designs official tartan for America’s 250th birthday
A university student based in the Scottish Borders has won a prestigious competition to design the official tartan marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Kaci McEwan created the winning design as part of a Scottish Government-backed project celebrating the historic ties between Scotland and the United States.
The postgraduate student, who is graduating this year from Heriot-Watt’s MA Fashion and Textile Design programme in Galashiels, beat off competition from fellow students after her tartan was chosen by an expert panel that included the US Ambassador to the UK.
Kaci’s design uses colours and thread counts to tell the story of America’s journey to independence, with references to the original 13 colonies, key historical dates and the Fourth of July.
Speaking after learning she had won, Kaci - from Strathaven in South Lanarkshire - revealed she was initially convinced the email had been sent to everyone.
“I still can’t quite believe it," she said. "It feels incredibly surreal, but also really rewarding because I put so much time and care into researching and developing the design.”
The tartan will become an official symbol of the enduring relationship between Scotland and the United States and will be formally registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans.
As part of the honour, Kaci will travel to Washington DC on Independence Day to present the tartan to the America250 organisation.
Scotland’s External Affairs Secretary Stephen Gethins said the design would help celebrate the strong cultural links between the two nations.
An initial run of commemorative tartan scarves will be produced at Lovat Mill in the Scottish Borders.
Professor Fiona Grant, Executive Dean for the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot-Watt University, added: “Opportunities like this, working on a live international brief of genuine cultural significance, are incredibly rare, and they speak to the distinctive, real-world experiences available to Heriot-Watt students. We are immensely proud to see our students representing Scotland’s creativity and heritage on a global stage.”
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