14 SCOTSMAN.COM @thescotsman THE SCOTSMAN Wednesday 17 October 2018 THE SCOTSMAN Wednesday 17 October 2018 SCOTSMAN.COM @thescotsman 15 THEFeat SCOTSMANures 200 Tiffany: Losing people taught Tartan is big in Japan and tourism here may benefit me that life was fragile

The Eighties pop A new touring exhibition in Japan celebrating tartan brings star talks to Andrew together the work of various Scottish designers, including Arthur about Joyce Young, who talks to Tessa Williams about the realising her dream of project and her hopes that it will attract visitors to Scotland making a rock album s far as musical experiments go, apan has always had a Aformer teen pop fascination with Scotland, icon Tiffany doing a rock Jmainly around golf and album seems an unlikely whisky. development. But now they have taken “I’m in New York – I their love affair with tartan to a apologise if there are sirens whole new level. and it gets a little loud,” the A new exhibition simply singer says down the phone, entitled “Tartan” is being excited to discuss her surprise hosted at the Kobe Fashion creative direction. Museum in Hyogo, the “I’ve been up doing country’s only exclusively interviews and working the fashion-orientated museum. record. I’m just like a kid in a It opened last month and will candy store!” last for two years, travelling The 1980s star, full name around other major cities. Tiffany Darwish, has ditched Leading the charge of the sugary synths of her early 00Tiffany was just 15 when she had her first hit designers from Scotland is career for distorted guitars. Glasgow-based, Joyce Young 00The Tartan exhibition at Kobe Fashion Museum She is currently on a lengthy “It was like a five-year span released a country record OBE. tour of gritty, smaller venues where the bottom fell out. A and lent her vocals to dance Joyce has worked for over just a year of working for the Delighted to have the across the UK and the US. lot of people in my world got tracks. four decades as a fashion high street. opportunity, Joyce agreed to “I’ve always been a big fan sick unexpectedly. My dad Yet most people still designer and graduated from “I only worked for them for meet with the Japanese team at of rock music. I wanted to passed away from cancer, my associate her with 1987 the Glasgow School of Art in a short time, before I decided her Glasgow studios. record rock music when I was tour manager passed away international hit I Think 1975. to start up my own company. “It was actually in November 14-15 but I was too young, it from cancer. We’re Alone now. Aged 15, she Her tartan inspired wedding The problem of working for that they came to visit – but would have been ridiculous. “My cousin passed away became the youngest female gowns, couture dresses and a high street company is that we put our Christmas “Stevie Nicks has always from addiction, my mom artist to top the US Billboard special Scottish themed outfits you are so limited in the way decorations up a whole month been the person who’s passed away. I had another albums chart with a debut grace the finest weddings, and you can design; you have a early, just to give the place inspired me, Ann Wilson good friend have cancer and release. are worn by those in the know; piece of fabric and you have more of a warm Scottish from Heart, Led Zeppelin. So pass away, and she was in her Yet Tiffany is quick to Alannah Hamilton, Kimberley to just compromise and welcome,” she says. the pop girl has always had a 30s. dismiss any notion that she is Stewart, Ashley Jensen, and compromise,” she adds. “I am so excited to be a part of little edge to her. “It taught me life was fragile. sick of her signature number. Judy Murray to name a few. Her business has gone from this show and think it is a great “It’s just taken me a while. All of these people had plans “That’s my beginning. It’s Her tartan designs have taken strength to strength and in opportunity for Scotland to I just celebrated 30 years in for later on. Always ‘later on’ a big part of me, I’m very her many miles from Fashion February 2014 she received attract more visitors, especially the music industry which I’m or ‘one day’. grateful. You will never come Week in Los Angeles and an OBE from Prince Charles people who may be thinking very proud of.” “That really did encourage to a Tiffany show where I Dressed to Kilt in New York. at Buckingham Palace for of getting married here,” says Tiffany admits her previous me to go and tour full time don’t play that song. I don’t Though it’s a first for her to be services to the textile industry. Joyce. “I’ve even decided to add life as a bubblegum pop pin- again and do an album that deny the hits, even with the shown in Japan. Other talented Scots who another website to cater for up meant producers she really reflects what’s in my edgier rock sound. For the past four years she will help tell the story of those looking to come and get previously worked with were head and heart.” “But I have to say that song is has had two stores, one in tartan in the Japan show married in Scotland, and offer reluctant to help develop the Tiffany admits her busy new resilient. Over the years, I have Glasgow’s Maryhill and the include: Kinloch Anderson, links to Scottish five star hotels new sound she craved. schedule has come at a price. done it acoustically, country- other in Haverstock Hill, Samantha McCoach (Le Kilt), and locations. That changed after she She is currently estranged style, punk, ska. That’s when London, and she continues Alison Harm, Judy R Clark, “People from abroad tend teamed up with British record you know you have a great to travel between the two Siobhan McKenzie and Howie to look on Scotland as this producer and musician Mark “I got to meet song, when it can live in all of places to have fittings and Nicholsby. wonderful mystical place, full Alberici from punk band The Dave Grohl this these different forms.” appointments for her dress Kobe Fashion Museum, a of heather, lochs and whiskies. Killing Floor. year. He so inspired Tiffany regularly plays 1980s making business. three storey exhibition hall that This exhibition will really help 00The tartan themed dresses miraculously within about in Scotland wearing tartan. tempted to transfer to Japan The pair have written a me with his work ethic retro shows in the UK and She strongly supports the is the first museum of its kind preserve the image of Scotland designed by Joyce Young for half an hour a lady who is It’s good for the visitors to the herself. collection of songs that have relishes performing alongside Scottish textile industry and in Japan, expects more than and help attract more tourists the Tartan exhibition in Japan also a concert pianist from exhibition see the wedding Scotland is and always has won the endorsement of and music” her peers from that era. She has had everything produced 50,000 people to see the show. too,” she adds. “It’s a bit like the Edinburgh University replied. dresses in context of a true been her home. Foo Fighters frontman Dave has been based in Britain from her own 20 strong factory The Tartan tour – which will way we look upon somewhere She was very pleased to be Scottish wedding and the “Though I’ve lived here Grohl. from her husband, British while working on her record. in Maryhill for over 25 years. also stop at Tokyo, Iwate, and like Bali, or Sri Lanka I guess.” photographed, and it turned best way is to show real life in Scotland all my life and “I got to meet Dave Grohl businessman Ben George. “I look at the UK as my home She also uses Harris tweed Fukuoka – will display more Within a few months Joyce out her father also came from weddings. The Japanese travelled to a lot of different this year. He so inspired “I’m going through a right now. It’s a little more in her designs and Scottish than 150 different types of had designed a specially made the city of Kobe, which was visitors not only see the grooms countries, there’s nowhere me with his work ethic and separation right now, I don’t open-minded here, especially cashmere whenever possible. tartan – everything from tartan tartan insert wedding dress quite a coincidence,” Joyce in kilts and the pipers and the else I could ever live. I love music, it was the highlight of know what’s going to happen. for me as a retro artist. “It is an easy option to go shoes to tartan telephones, and as well as an evening gown in adds. Scottish venues but also get a the scenery here and how my year really. For the sake of me being able “I love how people here still for having things made in the even biscuits and tells the story her signature Bystorm purple As yet Joyce is unsure yet glimpse of our landscapes,” it changes in such a short “Just to be able to sit and talk to do this full time it does cost celebrate your success. It’s Far East and it does have its of tartan from the Jacobite tartan. whether she will be able to Joyce explains. distance. My favourite part has to him about my new album. you a lot, it is a business. great to be standing next to benefits but one of the reasons I times to the present day. The dresses were sent off visit the tartan show in Japan, “I am very much hoping to be around the Kyles of Bute I’m going to send it to him and “I just really wanted this Big Country, Kim Wilde and love what I do is the investment Joyce was first approached in May to Japan and as the but is very hopeful that she that as well as learning all on the West Coast, but there I’m very thrilled by that. He for myself. My husband and Rick Astley. in quality. I know that the by Miki Inamura, a Japanese exhibition had bought them, “I am very much may be able to see her work about tartan at the exhibition are so many stunning areas to was just wonderful to me and I talked about it and he was “I’m a big fan of Rick and he’s brides and other clients I have delegate, from the Kobe Joyce would not have them on full display in the two-year Japanese engaged couples visit. Also Scottish people are so encouraging. Artists like like, ‘You need to do this.’ always been a wonderful guy. are getting the best fabrics and Newspaper foundation over a returned, so she wanted to hoping Japanese exhibition period. will be inspired to consider so warm and friendly I would me really need that.” “It’s more out of respect that I’m so thrilled for his success. the best possible dress,” Joyce year ago. have some photographs taken engaged couples “I felt it was important to Scotland – a romantic far off miss that too much if I lived It’s clear this new creative we have kind of paused our I grew up watching these explains. They picked Joyce out of a before they left the country. will be inspired to show a good representation of land – as the location for their abroad,” she says. pursuit holds personal relationship for a minute to people, but now I’m friends Joyce’s first job in the fashion handful of Scottish designers “I put up a call on Facebook consider Scotland as the weddings, so along with weddings,” she adds. importance for Tiffany, see where we’re at.” with them. world was as a designer for and asked if she would design a to see if I could find any the location for their the dresses on display there Although Joyce has travelled ●●www.fashionmuseum. who has put her family first Tiffany likes to challenge Marks & Spencer but she was wedding dress specifically for Japanese ladies who would weddings” will be a slide show of our to many parts of the world with or.jp/english; www. during a difficult period in her perceptions people have ●●Tiffany’s new album Pieces keen to set out on her own after the exhibition. model for the dresses, and brides who have been married her business she doesn’t seem joyceyoungcollections.co.uk 00Joyce Young’s dresses are made in her factory in Maryhill private life. of her. She has previously Of Me is out now.