Govan trainee shoemakers deliver size nine brogues to Sir Alex

Apprentices of Buchanan Bespoke Footwear, recently meet their hero Sir Alex Ferguson, boss of Manchester United Football Club, to present him with a pair of leather shoes, hand made by senior craftsmen in Govan.

Based in Sir Alex’s home town of Govan, the company has been making high-quality tailored shoes for men for nearly 90 years.

Recently, it took on three new apprentices to teach them the craft of luxury footwear production using an exclusive range of fine leathers, linings, and soling materials.

Local lads, Andrew Harvey, 18, Scott Rennie, 17, and William Magee, 27, took a pair of size nine shoes for Sir Alex from the company’s headquarters in Helen Street to his offices in Manchester United’s training ground. There they were able to soak up the iconic atmosphere and deliver the brown brogues to Sir Alex in person.

The experience was particularly exciting for William who is a player for Harmony Row Football Club, of which Sir Alex is a patron and honorary member. William said: ‘It was a dream come true to meet Sir Alex. He is one of Britain’s greatest living football managers and I hope to see him wearing the shoes at a match on TV soon.’

Diana Currie, managing director of Buchanan Bespoke Footwear, said: ‘Our apprentices were thrilled to meet him. We have been providing high quality footwear since 1925. It is important that we keep the traditional hand crafted shoemaking skills alive. By taking on new apprentices we can create a new generation of experts. I wrote to Sir Alex to tell him about our commitment to training and our three new apprentices. He was only too happy to get involved with us as we are based in Govan – his home town.’

Cathy Black, head of textiles, Scottish Enterprise, said: ‘Our textiles and apparel industry in Scotland relies on meticulous processes and a highly skilled workforce. It is essential for companies like Buchanan Bespoke Footwear, to invest in the next generation through apprenticeships and ensure that skills are passed on allowing the industry to thrive. We know that the Buchanan team enjoyed their visit to meet Sir Alex and that they now have a new ambassador for their premier league products.’

Art students’ venue to close

After 24 years at the Vic, Rita Greig will have to lock the door of the famous art students’ pub and music venue soon.
The Glasgow ikon in Renfrew Street is at the heart of Glasgow School of Art’s campus and is to be refurbished. It will close in June for two years. Said Vic venues manager, Rita: “It is like a huge family village here. You see new people come in on the first term, very nervous. But as time goes on, they gain confidence and blossom as adults.”
Because it is run by the Students Representative Council (SRC) all the profits go back to help the students. “The hardship fund has helped pay for exhibitions, feed people and launch careers,” said the spirited grandmother who hits 50 this year.
Some of the famous people who’ve been through the doors in the early stages of their creative careers include Timorous Beasties’ Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons, who met at Glasgow School of Art where they studied textiles. The textile tower block – the Newbery – is behind the Vic and will be demolished along with the Foulis building,  to make way for 21st century facilities. “We could only afford one roll of Timorous Beasties wallpaper which we put behind the bar,” said Rita. “The President at that time, Amanda Dobbratz, then made little pictures from all the offcuts and gave each of us in the Vic, something relevant to us personally.”
Rita also has items gifted to her by students through the years. World class painters such as Neil Clements, once SRC President, and now located in Berlin and New York is one of them.

“Travis have played here and Scissor Sisters cut their teeth here,” said Rita, proudly. “Franz Ferdinand practised in the band room and Fran Healy from Travis was here during Celtic Connections when the Vic was the festival’s  late night club.”
With a staff of 30 tending the bars and music venues in the Vic building, Rita is kept busy. But the decision on where the temporary SRC chill out zone will be during the refurbishment period, has yet to be taken. “I don’t worry about it,” said Rita philosophically, “I’ve asked for practical things like the cellar to be below the bar to make it easier and cheaper to clean the pipes in the new version of the Vic, but other than that, there is no sense in worrying about things. I’m looking forward to the new space opening because it will be more modern and more adaptable and better for the students. The more we can do for them while they’re here at the School, the better.”
Her final tip was to make sure folk got their tickets for the street party and the final fashion show in June and a massive exhibition of students’ work in the dance hall upstairs where the shutters will be taken off to form a temporary gallery before the final shut down.

Valedictory for the Vic

Students at Glasgow School of Art are preparing to say goodbye to the Vic Bar which closes, with adjacent Newbery Tower, in June.

Part of the campus in Renfrew Street, the Victoria cafe bar is where art and music collide and produce great things.

Third year students will host the last ever annual Fashion Show in the Vic on Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 March.  Textile design students who are based at Newbery, which is to be demolished, will create garments and the fabrics, using the wealth of information from the School’s archives.

Some of the unique pieces will be sold afterwards. Tickets are £7 per adults  £5 concession and the funds raised are expected to enable the final year students to take their degree collection to London next year for the New Designers’ graduate event.

Alongside the show, an exhibition of work from first year fashion and textiles students will feature in the School’s Atrium Gallery from Tuesday 8 to Sunday 13 March.

The various parts of the school turned out of their present accommodation will re-locate in Skypark. But at the time of writing, the Vic’s new home had not been confirmed though there are high hopes it will be on Sauchiehall Street, near the School of Art.

Famous textile students include: Timorous Beasties, Jonathon Saunders, Louise Grey and Bebaroque.

Designs on the future

by Lynsay Keough

Two textiles postgrad students from Glasgow School of Art have won a prestigious Deutsche Bank Award worth £10k to start their own textiles design business, Bespoke Atelier. It will design and print unique textiles for fashion designers in Scotland and beyond .Fabric runs will be produced to suit each customer’s specific requirements and provide bespoke screen printed fabric.

Yvonne Elliot, 23, from Glasgow and Marion Parola, 25, Brittany, from France, entered the Deutsche Bank Awards while finishing their masters in fashion and textiles at Glasgow School of Art.

The application process involved developing a business plan, followed by a Dragon’s Den style pitch to a panel of five expert judges. Elliot and Parola were recognised for their innovation and entrepreneurship, which brought their artistic excellence to life.

Yvonne Elliot said: “We designed our business to respond to a niche in the market to provide beautiful textiles with the best customer service possible. We are overjoyed that our business idea and approach was recognised as a winning venture and this award is the boost we need to take the next step.

“We are now on the hunt for a studio space as well as buying the necessary equipment to set up our print room, create our first collection and design bespoke prints for clients. It will be busy and we are so looking forward to it!”

Cathy Black, head of textiles at Scottish Enterprise, added: “Winning this award is a fantastic achievement for Yvonne and Marion. Their idea and talent obviously shone through to the judges. This prize will enable them to start, what we hope will be another successful textiles business in Scotland.”

Deutsche Bank launched the Deutsche Bank Awards scheme in 1993 to offer practical and financial support to artists, craftspeople, designers and performers to start a business or carry out a project in their crucial first year after leaving college.
The Deutsche Bank Awards operate within 10 arts colleges within the UK.