A former professional golfer turned luxury belt designer has launched his latest collection of belts with a ‘pop-up’ stand at the House of Fraser in Glasgow.
For the next two weeks Christian MacLeod’s new collection will be on display in the menswear section of Glasgow’s most exclusive department store.
All the belts are made in Italy from unique and inimitable leathers and are embellished with MacLeod’s trademark CM initials.
Celebrity fans of the 23-year old Inverness born designer include the actor James Sutton, the golfer Paul Lawrie and the Glasgow-born model Emma Louise Connelly.
MacLeod, whose work is frequently reviewed in GQ Magazine, recently signed an exclusive deal with luxury carmaker Aston Martin, which has agreed to provide its cars for MacLeod’s publicity shots. The deal is Aston’s only other official partnership, other than with James Bond movies.
With a scratch handicap in golf, MacLeod had originally embarked on a career as a professional golfer but an ankle injury four years ago led him to change direction and pursue another passion, for design.
“I was facing a loss of earnings for at least a year and needed something with a more guaranteed income,” he said.
MacLeod now sells between 2,000 to 3,000 belts a year, which retail for between £150-220. Many of them are sold online to discerning customers in Canada, Thailand, the US and continental Europe.
“The last seven years have been gearing up for this moment,” MacLeod said. “Having been nominated at the Scottish Fashion Awards for Accessory Designer of the Year in 2014, and now working with House of Fraser and Aston Martin, I feel like I need to pinch myself.”
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