Scots get ready to take part in New York Tartan Day

Scots have been crossing the Atlantic this week to play their part in the 2018 New York Tartan Day parade.

Being held in the Big Apple on Saturday April 7, pipers and drummers from all over the world will take part in the event, a celebration of the contribution made to the USA by the Scots.

Stepping out for the very first time will be the new World Fair Trade Tartan clan, representing and supporting Scotland as a Fair Trade Nation.

The new World Fair Trade Tartan (WFTT) has been created to promote Scotland’s renewed Fair Trade Nation status and to benefit World Fair Trade Organisations (WFTO) members around the globe.

Lining up alongside Rudi Dalvai, President of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) and Tania Pramschufer, director of Hand Up Events, Louise Marshall, top Scottish Piper and Piper to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, will pipe as part of the WFTT clan.

Regarding the participation of the WFT clan, Kyle Dawson, President of the National Tartan Day New York Committee said: ‘I am thrilled to see the World Fair Trade Tartan clan coming to Tartan Week and on our 20th Anniversary, it makes it that much more special. What better fabric to represent World Fair Trade than Tartan.

Lou Marshall (left) with Olya Arren

‘The Scots have settled all over the world, branching out to give their mark on the world communities, it’s only fitting that World Fair Trade should be represented by such an amazing fabric.’

The WFT tartan was the brain-child of Tania Pramschufer, Hand Up Events who created and registered it, working on the design in collaboration with House of Edgar, textile designers who replicated the well-known and distinctive Fair Trade colours of green and blue in the woven design.

President of the WFTO, Rudi Dalvai said: ‘Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It has proved to be a sustainable development tool by offering better trading conditions to small farmer and handicraft producers.

‘It is a great honour for me to take part of the 20th NYC Tartan Day Parade to celebrate Scotland as one of the first globally, Fair Trade Nations and to promote the new World Fair Trade Tartan.’

Tania Pramschufer added: ‘The journey to New York Tartan Parade is such an honour for the World Fair Trade Tartan clan, as we will be representing Scotland as a Fair Trade Nation and World Fair Trade Organisations, so we feel so very humbled to be joining this great and exciting event and to be making new connections in the USA.

The NYC Tartan Day Parade

‘Through the tartan, we aim to connect with many WFTO projects around the world, to weave the tartan and make into a range of accessories which can then be brought to market and eventually sold not just in the UK, but in US, Canada, Australia and everywhere in between.

‘And working collaboratively, we also aim to bring more awareness of weaving the tartan in Scotland, sharing these resources with other nations and the products to profit Fair Trade members and organisations around the globe.’

As well as a first for the WFTT clan, this will be the very first time bagpiping star Louise Marshall will appear across the Atlantic and will be playing her father’s 120-year-old Robertson bagpipes, as well as sharing her love of the new World Fair Trade Tartan.

Louise said: ‘It is a huge honour to have been invited to participate in my very first NYC Tartan Day Parade and even more exciting to hear it is our very own fabulous Scottish singer/songwriter and musician KT Tunstall leading as the first female Grand Marshal.’