The Designer: Samantha McCoach + Dior
If one thing can be said about fashion, it is that a kilt will always be timeless. Maybe not in the traditional sense, but with modern tweaks, the Scottish pleated garment finds its way back into relevance time and again. Samantha McCoach is an Edinburgh, Scotland native and founder of Le Kilt.
The brand started from adolescent inspiration when her grandmother made her a mini black kilt—her art school wardrobe staple, along with Doc Martens, according to a Vogue interview. When McCoach’s classmates wanted in on the fashion statement, the designer, with her grandmother’s help, made twelve kilts that Christmas. Witnessing the potential of her grandmother’s craft and with a knack for fashion herself, McCoach decided to launch the brand. In 2014, Le Kilt made its debut, and McCoach had her first London Fashion Week showing. Now, with her brand more popular than ever, the products are manufactured in Scotland and stay true to McCoach’s heritage.
Le Kilt is inspired by the early 1980s London club scene with an edgy undertone. But the brand’s most impactful value is quality. The natural material made by small businesses in Scotland holds onto tradition to create sustainable pieces that won’t go out of style. Hand-knitted vests, cashmere wool sweaters, mohair scarves, and pleated kilts make your style basics not so basic.
Fast forward to the Dior Cruise 2025 collection: Le Kilt became part of the show by chance. The show, taking place at Drummond Castle in Scotland and with a focus on Scottish heritage, needed a Scottish edge. That’s when Dior’s Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, called McCoach to collaborate, remembering her daughter had been a Le Kilt customer back at its start. A partnership was born, and the herringbone tweed design became one of the iconic unveiling pieces of the collection.
How Is the Kilt Relevant to a Major Fashion House’s History?
The unveiling didn’t take place in Scotland at random. Christian Dior’s 1947 debut collection featured Scottish influence, and again in 1955, he paid homage to the country. To commemorate his legacy, a contemporary take is blended with references to his first collection and the cultural ties between France and Scotland. With Mary, Queen of Scots in mind, the romanticism of royalty and the punk nature of the kilt marry two cultures together—not in matrimony, but in grungy glamour. The collection celebrates the cultural impact of travel, and Chiuri stays authentic to the theme with Le Kilt’s founder’s expertise.
The Kilt in Question
The kilt designed by McCoach and other pieces in Chiuri’s collection feature photographs from the 1955 show and a herringbone tweed that creates the diagonal shape in the fabric. Other pieces in the collection incorporate embroidered Scottish symbols of the unicorn and thistle, while others have a map of Scotland mixed with velvets, lace collars, and the classic tartan fabric.
How Can You Buy It?
You can buy the collection when it launches on the Dior site. You can sign up to get notified about its availability.
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