SCOTTISH FASHION AWARDS

Stirling Council is once again delighted to be an official sponsor and proud host of the Scottish Fashion Awards for 2008.

Stirling is set in the dramatic heartlands of Scotland and, as the ancient capital of the country, is also at the heart of Scotland’s rich history. It features wide areas of countryside - including large parts of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and is described as ‘the brooch that clasps together the Highlands and the Lowlands'. The City of Stirling is Scotland’s newest city and one of its most historic and has all the buzz and cosmopolitan culture of a University City with theatres, cinemas, contemporary art galleries and live performance spaces.

As a highly accessible area, with breathtaking venues and locations, such as Stirling Castle and the Trossachs - and a range of excellent sports, arts and conference facilities - Stirling is the perfect location for a diverse range of events and also has something for everyone; visitor or resident, individuals or families, business or student.

The cultural richness and vibrancy of ‘Scotland’s Heart’ is reflected in the area’s growing events portfolio. Stirling plays host to a number of regular events, including ‘The Blend’ music festival, Callander Jazz & Blues Festival, ‘Off the Page’ book festival and the City of Stirling Rugby 7s and has hosted a number of important events including the World Medical Games and high profile music concerts (with international performers such as Bob Dylan, REM and James Blunt). It also played host to the inaugural Scottish Fashion Awards in 2006 and this fruitful partnership with Stirling Council and the event organisers, the TFF Agency, continued with a highly successful event in 2007 at Stirling Castle.

As Scotland’s premier fashion event, with high calibre judges and models from around the globe, the Scottish Fashion Awards is a welcome addition to Stirling’s 2008 calendar and underlines Stirling’s position as an events location of national and international stature.

Founded over thirty years ago by Eric N Smith and his wife Yvonne, ‘Eric N Smith’ is Scotland’s leading designer in diamond jewellery and retailer of fine jewels. Today, located in the Central belt of Scotland in their outstanding jewellery showroom, it is renowned for combining timeless craftsmanship with superior quality and contemporary design to produce exquisite diamond jewellery.

Eric trained at Glasgow School of Art and then worked in at the Bench in a Scottish jeweller and silversmith before going it alone with his own business. It wasn’t long before he amassed a list of awards and credits which included a Diamonds International Award, two-time winner of Best Design in Diamonds at the UK Jewellery Awards, and a seemingly permanent position in De Beers Diamond Selection of Top Ten Designers (appearing every year except one between 1979 and 1995). Smith’s reputation spread as the Scottish business became a leading name in its field of diamond design. The creation of the internationally successful ‘Morse Code Collection’, which uses diamonds to incorporate secret messages of love in diamond dots and dashes into his jewellery, won numerous accolades as well as the countless national column inches on this incredibly successful collection.

Apart from Eric’s own award winning designs, there are fourteen luxury brands in stock at his store in Glasgow’s south side, offering a fantastic spectrum of luxury jewellery and watches. From desirable brands including Chopard, Rolex, Ebel, Gucci, Breitling, Georg Jenson and Jaegar Le Coultre to exclusive engagement rings, diamond earrings, pendants, bracelets and necklaces and a fine collection of coloured stones sourced by Eric from the Far East.

Eric N Smith takes great pride in the brands outstanding reputation, from its innovative approach to design and craftsmanship to its personal service from an experienced and highly professional team.

Joining the Scottish Fashion Awards as the ‘Official Jeweller’ in the event’s third year is an exciting endeavour for the brand and will provide a wonderful opportunity to dress the event’s high profile fashion guest list who will fly in from around the world. Eric will also be offering his invaluable industry expertise as an award winning jewellery designer and judge for the 2008 awards. Having introduced an ‘Accessory & Jewellery Designer of the Year’ category in 2007 brought significant new talent to the platform and it is within this arena that Eric is passionate about. He said:

“We are very proud to be sponsors of The Scottish Fashion Awards and very proud to be the Scottish manufacturers at the cutting edge of the jewellery industry. As a judge I am looking for Scottish designers who can instill a sense of passion in an innovative and creative look for their jewels. Whether that comes from their use of gemstones or metals, I am looking for individual signatures that captivate the consumer - that’s exciting”.

For more information or a brochure - www.ericnsmith.com

Scottish Enterprise is working with other public sector bodies, The Scottish Government and the textiles industry to ensure the continued growth and development of a modern, forward-thinking sector in Scotland . Under the banner of "Scottish Textiles", we're working to ensure Scottish firms are able to compete globally in today's fast-changing marketplace.

"We're delighted to be supporting the Scottish Fashion Awards again for the third year. The event helps to showcase the wonderful talent in Scotland 's fashion and design sector and celebrate young designers in Scotland who have huge potential to promote Scotland 's reputation for producing high quality innovative textiles to audiences both at home and overseas."

Kirsty Scottish, Manager of the Scottish Textiles team at Scottish Enterprise

www.scottishenterprise.com

TONI&GUY are proud to support the Scottish Fashion Awards and announce that they are to be the ‘Official Haircare Sponsor’ for the very first time. In addition, TONI&GUY will also be the official sponsor of the Scottish Fashion Awards 2008 Model of the Year.

With a reputation as the fashion-led hairdresser our involvement with the Scottish Fashion Awards provides our hairdressing teams with the perfect vantage point to showcase their talent; from backstage at Stirling Castle to the TONI&GUY suite at One Devonshire Glasgow - which is set to become a haven for all fashion networkers.

For over forty years TONI&GUY have remained at the very forefront of the hairdressing industry as true style mavericks and have pioneered the ‘professional hairdresser’, exceeding all industry standards to make expertise available on a global scale.

With TONI&GUY’s on-going and significant involvement at London Fashion Week, there is no better equipped Haircare brand that can translate catwalk trends into wearable hair.

“We’re delighted to be supporting the Scottish Fashion Awards. It also offers an amazing opportunity for our Scottish Salons to get involved behind the scenes. We’re thrilled to put our name to such a fashion-forward event! ” – Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck – Global Creative Director for TONI&GUY Media.

www.toniandguy.com

Malmaison and Hotel du Vin are delighted to be the official partner of the Scottish Fashion Awards 2008 and the international guest list will be staying across these 3 luxury properties in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Eat, drink and sleep it.

Every divinely tasty dish, every minute of every blissful night and every drip down to the last drop.

Immerse yourself in its menu of tasty dishes passionately prepared with local ingredients. Drink its astounding wine, poured by people whose infectious love for the grape will make you a more adventurous wine lover. Be tempted by its dangerously good cocktails. It would be rude not to. We do rooms too. Contemporary chic, low lit dens of superslinky style with blisteringly quick free broadband and toiletries to take home. Be passionate. Grab life by the hand, whisk it briskly down a sandy beach for a spot of midnight skinnydipping. Be more rock’n’roll. Eat, drink and sleep the things that make you happy…… That my friend, is Mal life.

Set in a tree-lined Victorian terrace in the fashionable West End of Glasgow, One Devonshire Gardens is a luxury boutique hotel, a Hotel du Vin with a little bit more.

Proud to be regarded as one of Scotland’s finest, our luxury boutique hotel has been given the Hotel du Vin treatment, with trademark superb beds, luxurious Egyptian linen, serious showers and unique, relaxed style of hospitality.

The 49 stunning bedrooms and suites, and our reputation for service and style have, we hope, been enhanced by a new bar and bistro, and the makeover of many of our bedrooms, without losing any of the charm and character for which One Devonshire Gardens is well known.

The Bistro deluxe is located in House 1 and has recently been awarded 3 AA rosettes. Here, you’ll find great classic and modern dishes with a Scottish influence, all supporting our philosophy of quality food, cooked simply with the freshest of local ingredients. Wine is, naturally, of fundamental importance with knowledgeable yet friendly staff presenting our incredible selection of carefully selected bottles at reasonable prices. Guests can visit the wine cellar in the comfort of their own sommelier to choose from over 600 bins.

Two terraced gardens are perfect for alfresco dining, and those who enjoy a cigar will love our heated outdoor cigar shack.

Best rates available online at www.malmaison.com and www.hotelduvin.com

Discover some truly stunning ‘supermodels’ by visiting any Mercedes-Benz West of Scotland showroom.

The three-pointed star is a designer label that appeals to more motorists than ever before and no wonder, with the Mercedes-Benz range now one of the most extensive offered by any manufacturer.

From sleek sports cars and curvaceous coupes to stylish saloons and rugged off-roaders, there really is a Mercedes-Benz to suit every requirement, budget and taste. This season’s must haves include the drop-top gorgeous SLK-Class Roadster and the stunning CLC-Class Coupe, which was launched to great acclaim earlier this month.

But whilst they say that fashions come and go, the exceptional service offered by Mercedes-Benz of West Scotland’s retailers in Ayr, Hamilton, Giffnock and Glasgow over many years remains as strong as ever.

Whether looking to buy a new or Approved Used Mercedes-Benz or bring an existing vehicle in for a service, customers are assured of a genuine warm welcome and an unrivalled retail experience provided by experienced teams trained to the very highest standards by the manufacturer.

We look forward to being of service to you soon.

Mercedes Benz Glasgow – T. 0141 331 4600

Mercedes Benz Ayr – T. 01292 293 600

Mercedes Benz Giffnock – T. 0141 629 1200

Mercedes Benz Hamilton – T. 01698 201 500

Semple Travel - celebrating 25 years in the travel and holiday business. Our success is due to our continual commitment to offering a standard of customer service that is second to none and presenting you, our clients, with a superb choice of holidays and travel arrangements. Being a TravelServicesProvider, we pride ourselves as specialists in a continuingly changing and evolving market place, meeting the needs and demands of our clientele by developing and expanding, with our teams offering bespoke leisure breaks under the Semple Travel umbrella.

CruiseKings - - with all of our staff having first hand knowledge and a passion for cruising. We realise that our customers have a choice, but we are also very proud that our clients return year after year, knowing that they will receive fantastic service and value for money and even better, they recommend us to their families and friends.

SkiKings - We are a group of enthusiastic, experienced skiers whose objective is to find you the right holiday at the right cost. Not the cheapest holiday to the wrong resort.
Our attention to detail from carefully selected accommodation, outstanding catering, quality childcare, limitless piste and powder opportunities - we will not disappoint!
Many of our customers return each year ..

DanceKings - We specialise in Scottish Country Dance, English Folk Dance, Ceilidh, Old Time and Line Dance holidays to resorts all over Europe.
All our resorts and hotels are specially selected and are inspected by ourselves to ensure suitability.

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Semple Travel…..not just a travel agent