Judy R Clark’s gown features in Beyond the Little Black Dress

Edinburgh designer Judy R Clark is thrilled to have a dress in the flagship exhibition Beyond the Little Black Dress at the National Museum of Scotland – but it is far from just a little black dress.

The Lace Noir gown is a sweeping, wonderful affair, typical of Clark’s work which is both dramatic and beautiful. She did wear the gown herself to an event at Prestonfield House, but otherwise this creation was a way of using Scottish black lace when she first moved to her still relatively new studio in Abbeyhill.

When she brought the Scottish lace home from MYB Textiles she set to work draping it onto the mannequin, then pinning it and hand sewing the entire dress – “apart from the zip”.The lace is appliquéd with painted gold lace.

Some of this lace has also been used in a shirt which singer Annie Lennox commissioned Judy to make for her in 2021 when she was singing in Los Angeles.

Judy set up an exhibition of her work in the ballroom at Dalkeith Palace positioning the gown in an extensive almost museum like display of her current work. Georgina Ripley, the curator of the exhibition at the museum, asked for it to be included as soon as she saw it.

Photographer David Stanton. Model  Magda @ Magteam.  Hair  Lisa Alexander for Dickson Reid.  MUA Kat McSwein. Fashion Assistant Lorna Bennett.

Judy said: “I was a little nervous before I went along to the opening of the exhibition – when they served Coco Chanel canapés – but afterwards I was left feeling it was quite an achievement .”

Judy is a first class honours graduate who interned for the late Alexander McQueen, was named young designer of the year and who has won many awards since then.

She has recently collaborated with her twin sister Christine who is an artist. The pair have combined their talents along with a photograph of one of Judy’s creations by well-known photographer Jodie Mann. This created a juxtaposition of their talents to create unique fashion and art pieces. Jodie’s photos featured a photograph of Judy’s fashion layered with Christine’s unique painting style.

Next Judy will be working on some ready to wear pieces which can be purchased off the shelf and ordered online.