Perth designer loved by Taylor Swift says Dior Crieff show is "huge opportunity" for town

A Perthshire fashion designer – whose clothes have been worn by Taylor Swift – says the region has an exciting opportunity to boost the local economy when fashion house Dior brings its next show to Crieff this summer.

The designer brand announced it would be hosting its 2025 Cruise Collection at Drummond Castle Gardens in June, making it the first time the iconic brand has returned to the area in 70 years.

Jade Robertson, co-founder of Little Lies – a Glencarse-based design brand – has said this is a brilliant opportunity for the region as the biggest names in celebrity and fashion could descend on the scenic town.

The business went viral earlier this year when Taylor Swift was snapped wearing one of their dresses while out with actress Blake Lively.

And this week, Jade said the Shake It Off star has purchased another item from their brand, having posted a picture on her Instagram wearing one of their slip-dresses.

Jade, who started Little Lies nine years ago, said the buzz around the upcoming show could bring other opportunities for local business.

She said: “This is very exciting. It’s such a massive opportunity, not only for Scotland in the fashion world, but, locally, it will hopefully bring so much to the area.

“This is going to be a huge event and will no doubt bring so many people, maybe even famous people, to the area.

“I think sometimes in Scotland you can feel a bit far removed from high-fashion events, but I think it is starting to be recognised.

“Chanel recently held a pop-up in Edinburgh, too, so to have this huge event so local to us is fantastic.”

The Crieff show will be added to the list of previous places to host the high-fashion event, which include Mexico City, Seville, Athens and Marrakech.

The Mexico City show last year welcomed Alicia Keys, Naomi Watts, Rachel Zegler, Emma Raducanu and more.

This is the first time the fashion giant will have returned to the region since 1955, when Christian Dior took his show to the nearby Gleneagles Hotel .

The designer flew eight house models from Paris to the venue, who modelled dresses, valued at about £300 each, on a specially-constructed catwalk in the hotel’s ballroom.

Drummond Castle Gardens is a private estate which dates back to the 17th century.

The Silhouettes show “dreamed up” by Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri will be unveiled at the event at the gardens used in the film Rob Roy and as a stand-in for Versailles in hit-TV Outlander.

Jade also thinks other pop culture trends have inspired the choice.

She added: “We think Traitors is having a huge influence just now, the location there and the style of the show is being talked about a lot so I think that has inspired the choice.

“I wonder if they will include any tartan or major Scottish influences in the collection?”

She added: “There are so many opportunities for local businesses, I think it’s going to be a fantastic thing for the area.

“You just nenver know what could happen, Taylor Swift could buy one of your dresses and things could go a bit wild!”

A spokesperson for Dior said: “For the presentation of the Dior Cruise 2025 line, Dior has chosen the gardens of Drummond Castle, a historic architectural treasure, to reveal the silhouettes dreamed up by Maria Grazia Chiuri.

“A poetic invitation where past and future meet, celebrating the unique, powerful ties forged from the very beginnings of the House, for the autumn-winter 1947 défilé.

“The founding-couturier named an emblematic haute couture ensemble Écosse on that occasion.

“Such affinities were further affirmed during a sumptuous ball orchestrated at the Gleneagles Hotel for the spring-summer 1955 collection.

“So many tributes to the beauty of journeys and cultures that this new cruise show will spotlight more than ever.”

The news follows Crieff being named among the country’s most under-rated food destinations.

The town’s number five rating in the ‘UK Top Culinary Tourism Spots’ - out of a list of 20 - was made by Sally’s Cottages in a culinary tourism report.