Geoff Day teased the audience with the Mercedes Benz, a fashion statement more than a car. Holland & Sherry unveiled the world’s most expensive kilt, woven from 100 percent Mongolian cashmere, reflecting the colors of the local countryside. Matthew Modine, one of the stars of the hit show Weeds, modeled a peach button-up shirt and still managed to make the kilt look rugged, even inspiring an “oh my!” from a woman in her mid-40s sitting in front of me. Not to be bested, Charlie Andrews also made heads turn and left everyone smiling with his James Bond presence in a classic red kilt (Bond girls in tow, of course). But it was rugby star, Thom Evans, who made heads more than turn, leaving many with afterward whiplash effects, as he wore nothing but a light colored kilt and shoes beside two beautifully dressed models as they walked down the runway, adding a male nudity aspect to the show that every woman could appreciate.

“As a female who’s seen a lot of female nudity, I appreciated the male nudity,” Robin Forman, 27, an attendee of the show and huge Wendy Williams and Nigel Barker fan, both of whom were judges of the show, said.

The fashion of the night was truly breathtaking. The Obscure Couture designs were feminine, but tough. A light pink studded skirt paired with a studded black leather jacket was a look that every 20-something girl would want in her closet. The New Look lingerie designs by Kelly Brook were sexy and feminine with the creations featuring a bra, panties, sexy garter and thigh highs, harkening back to a ’40s look with a burlesque feel that almost any woman could look good in, offered in both, a light peach color and a dark black color.

The Iona Crawford pieces from the designer’s Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection featured even more variety. The Italia Blue Tartan Silk Dress, a dark blue plaid dress with a plunging neckline accentuating all the right assets, presented a more sensual look. Likewise, her Airone Blu Dress — a piece which can be described as more appropriate for work or a sunny spring day; a little black dress with deep red roses which look as though they were painted on a black canvas, all the more so because, in fact, Crawford herself painted the artwork and translated it on to the delicate printed silk – was a sight to behold. Discussing her inspiration for the designs of the show, Crawford said her pieces represent “an elegant, contemporary, timeless yet forward thinking take on a cloth which boasts a rich heritage both here in Scotland and around the world.” Working with the Official Scots Italian Tartan of Clan Italia, she “chose to balance delicate printed silk dressed with tailored garments in pure new wool, where the tartan element accentuates the clean lines and strong silhouette of each piece.” The Scottish seasons, “from the majestic pink springtime sky at dusk to the breathy, ice-white frost on a bitter winter’s morning” were also a source of inspiration for the designer.

“Kaleidoscopic heron prints in neon pink and midnight encourage the eye to wander around the body whilst a subtle dapple grey mare print adds an element of satire as the viewer suddenly identifies the soft, dainty motifs as mirrored horses. Flashes of emerald green set against a swirl of blues depict a handsome peacock; the tones of his bold feathered attire perfectly complimented by the vivid Scots Italian Tartan,” the designer said of her showcased works.

Crawford attempted to maintain a refined feminine silhouette throughout the collection together with a colorful print placement and extensive exploration, creating a new vibrancy to her label’s trademark elegance. And her attempts did not prove to be futile as she certainly achieved that mark with the pieces featured at the show.

Henrietta Ludgate premiered a structured hot pink piece indicative of the 1980s. It drew suspense as the wait for it was one of the two snags in the show (the second being that the show was almost concluded without the band Tucker walking down the runway). Much like Crawford, Ludgate said she drew her inspiration from her natural surroundings; from the “Scottish Forests to the Northern Lights that shine eerily in winter.” However, for Ludgate herself, the most piercing moment of the show was not the actual modeling of her designs, but the moment when the Wounded Warriors walked down the runway.

“The Wounded Warriors on the catwalk brought a depth and seriousness to the catwalk show, and I feel immensely proud to be able to say that we shared the catwalk with them as they are real heroes,” she stressed. The soldiers who were featured in the show were in fact, the most powerful and moving models of the night. As they walked the catwalk, the audience stood to cheer, applaud, and honor the people to whom the show was dedicated.

Actress Kelly Rutherford, who was asked by Matthew Settle to be a part of the event this year, as he did it last year and loved it, said she loved participating as “it’s great to incorporate fashion and fun while raising money for important causes. Everyone is donating their time and it just makes it so heartfelt and connects everyone for a higher purpose.” The grand finale of the night was undeniably the performance put on by Rutherford and Settle as the Gossip Girl pair stole the show; Rutherford wearing a dark Scottish cashmere dress with a Swarvoski trim designed by Henrietta Ludgate and Settle wearing a classic black kilt from Glenisla. The pair walked out onto the runway together, separated, danced, and then proceeded to join in the middle of the runway, at which point Settle planted one on Rutherford, a long and passionate Hollywood kiss conjuring favorite Blockbusters and being worthy of a Clark Gable scene. The couple then smiled and walked to the end of the runway, where they teased the spectators further, Rutherford looking down and reaching for the front pocket of  Settle’s kilt, while he looked around the audience coyly. At that point, the couple reached for another long-time Hollywood accessory, the cigarette, and proceeded to smoke in further Hollywood fashion. They walked back down the runway, arm in arm, Settle looking rebellious and Rutherford looking “beautiful, glamorous, sophisticated and cool,” as Ludgate said, honored that Rutherford wore her dress.

Much to the happiness of the organizers who wished that this would be their best show yet, the audience members did find the show a killer. “I love how entertaining it was!” exclaimed Colleen Brown, who had just witnessed her first fashion show and had fallen in love with all the Vivienne Westwood pieces in the show which she described as leaving her feeling nostalgic. She rated her first fashion show experience as absolutely “perfect.”

For those who couldn’t make it to From Scotland with Love, but still wish to dress to impress, there is plenty of entertainment and activity to go around through partaking in the Silent Auction on the show’s official Web site, adding a trinket of fun to a charitable cause. Among the items featured are tickets for What About Dick? at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles from April 26 to April 29 with bids starting at $1,000, a private 3D advance screening from Disney Studios of a new film about Scotland entitled Brave, a custom made kilt made for Henrik Lundqvist, star goalie of the New York Rangers hockey team, and a signed jersey as well as rugby ball from the entire Scotland National Rugby Team. And for those who wish to dine with not one but four Miss Scotlands, there is a donated dinner at the Prestonfield House outside of Edinburgh with bids starting at $2,000 with the current Miss Scotland Jennifer Reoch and the previous Miss Scotlands, Nicola Mimnagh, Stephanie Willense, and Lois Weatherup.

If, at the end, you still feel like you missed out on one of the highlights of the fashion world’s best kept-secrets, keep in mind that there’s always next year’s show, which if this year was any proof of that, it is bound to be bigger and better with unimaginable surprises that will leave you feeling downright Scottish.

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