2021 Chairmen Remarks

New Date:  Summer 2021
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Dear Friends,    

As if 2020 couldn’t get any worse, we awoke on the morning of October 31 to learn that our friend and colleague, Sir Sean Connery, had passed away the previous evening in his sleep. Sir Sean was one of the co-founders of the DTK fashion show in 2003 with Dr. Geoffrey Scott Carroll. Without his personal support and involvement throughout the years the show would not have achieved the enormous success that it has. Just before the first show that we had in April of 2003, we were told by everyone here in NYC that nobody would pay good money to see great looking Scottish blokes in kilts. We would joke about this and we were prepared to throw the whole bloody thing in the bin bag after the first show but on the night of the event there were lines around the block and it was a massive success! Over the years we together turned this show into the largest and most prestigious Scottish fashion show in the world and a major stop on the international fashion circuit. We have also raised millions of dollars for charities on both sides of the Atlantic. We all used to talk about how fashion becomes hollow without the enrichment of diverse cultures, and boy did we create a unique and great cultural foundation for our Dressed to Kilt event. Our board of directors has agreed to honor Sir Sean and his family with our next show in Summer 2021. 

Sir Sean was indeed an iconic film legend, an international star of unparalleled stature and he never tired of telling us that he was voted the “Sexiest Man of the 20th Century” by People Magazine. He was probably best known for his role as the British super spy James Bond. He was the first Bond and he acted in a total of seven Bond films. Though there were numerous 007s after Sir Sean, to many of us he was the only one true James Bond. We would also argue that he had one of the most recognizable voices in the world. People all across the globe remember those unforgettable words, “The Name is Bond – James Bond”. As his voice was so distinctive, at one DTK event Sir Sean agreed to auction off his voice for a telephone answering machine. “Hello this is Sean Connery speaking and Jane Doe is not at home so please leave your name and message and I will tell Jane to call you upon her return”. The bidding on this item was fast and furious and as we recall it was the most expensive auction item that year. Those of us who worked with him on DTK saw a different side of the man. We saw a charitable man, a man who loved his family, a man who loved his country of birth and a generosity that helped an untold number of young Scots and Scottish companies.

Should you, and or your company wish to participate in the Summer show and help us celebrate Sir Sean and his family in a special way that highlights your organization, please let us know. We shall invite several members of Sir Sean’s family who attended and supported previous DTK events, we shall invite a number of his favorite models and favorite acts from previous DTK shows to join us and our glossy coffee table program will have numerous never before seen photos of Big Tam from previous shows. We will make this a collector’s edition. As he meant so much to so many Scots around the world, we welcome your ideas and your contributions. We shall all miss you Big Tam, rest in peace.

 

Dr. Geoffrey Scott Carroll

Founder/Chairman

Dressed To Kilt

New York, New York

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Mr. Peter Morris OBE

Chief Executive Officer

Friends of Scotland Charity

Los Angeles, California