Eye on Cragg & Tail
As with any profession no matter your field, it always pays to have a "side hustle" to balance out the normalcy of the nine to five. For Edinburgh's own budding entrepreneur Craig McKellar, this takes the form of side-stepping his office environment to launch a unique and distinctly Scottish menswear brand, Cragg & Tail - poles apart from the day-to-day world of finance.
Designing and manufacturing smart/casual shirts using Scottish suppliers remained a pipe dream until McKellar finally decided the moment had arrived to bite the bullet and release an exclusive collection of luxury shirts for retail. During the summer of 2016 he enjoyed a pop-up at New Town hipster haven Brotique who were hot on their heels to support a new brand that seeks to cater for the modern gent. As Cragg & Tail had created a New Town collection, this natural partnership was a perfect fit. What does one buy for the man that has everything? Simple. A little piece of Scotland and a whole lot of hype for a suave savvy start-up.
Cragg & Tail certainly deliver on detail. Careful cuts of fabric, beautiful buttons and intricate tartan touches on both collar and cuff means that every shirt is set apart from the mediocre market. Each shirt tells a story. Keen customers are not merely snapping up a quality seasonal piece to accentuate their autumnal wardrobe, they are stealing a slice of Scottish landscape. They are partnering on a journey with a fledgling brand who are unashamedly passionate about their heritage.
Their choice of branding craves to communicate its Celtic context - where the rock formations slope from the city castle to the iconic Royal Mile. The purple signature squiggle located on each front pocket and that runs through the logo captures a sense of quality, class and makes swift associations with the Scottish national emblem, the thistle. Scotland is in fashion and start-up brands like Cragg & Tail are proudly placing it back on the map.
We are often encouraged to never give up the day job, but in this case I'm not so sure...
Words: Claire McCullough
Blog: www.theregoesclaire.com
Twitter: @ThereGoesClaire