Dave Thompson MSP

HIGHLANDS and Islands MSP Dave Thompson has submitted a motion to the Scottish Parliament calling on members to join him in congratulating a community of hand knitters after their heavy traditional fishermen's jumpers became one of the highlights of this year's London Fashion Week.

A group of enthusiastic knitters formed the Moray Firth Gansey Project to keep alive the skills and designs needed to produce "ganseys", a traditional heavy jumper favoured by fishermen from the north-east.

The Nationalist MSP is a native of Lossiemouth, once one of the most thriving fishing ports on the Moray Firth, was delighted to hear that the type of garment he remembers being worn around the harbour from his childhood has found a new life as a high-fashion garment on the catwalks.

"I am sure many of the fishermen who lived in this type of gansey would have been tickled to think that a few years later they would be worn by models on the catwalk", said the SNP politician. "I hope these models are pretty fit because a true  fisherman's gansey weighs a ton."

The ganseys were commissioned by the haute couture design house Meadham Kirchhoff and were shown in a catwalk show at an impromptu fashion venue at Billingsgate Market in London, where the audience included Samantha Cameron, wife of Prime Minister David Cameron.

Note:

Dave Thompson's motion submitted on Wednesday:

Short Title: From Fishing to Fashion S3M-07997 Dave Thompson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish knitters who make up the Moray Firth Gansey Project on having their designs modelled at London Fashion Week; notes that the project was set up to preserve the heritage of the Moray Firth’s fishing communities; further notes that the gansey, a distinctive, seamless, woollen pullover, traditionally worn by seamen and fishermen, was featured in design house Meadham Kirchhoff’s London Fashion Week show and congratulates the quines and loons of the Moray Firth for providing the attire worn; acknowledges that the project is funded by the Scottish Government, LEADER, the National Lottery and the European Agriculture and Development Fund, and wishes the project the best of success in continuing the tribute to the Moray Firth fishing communities and in preserving traditional Scottish heritage, crafts and culture.