Heriot-Watt student turns meat netting into prize-winning outfit

Forget Paris and Milan – an aspiring Scottish designer’s prize-winning dress is going on show in the offices of food packaging supplier.

Verna Lai turned a roll of meat netting into a three-piece outfit featuring Pictish monograms.

The third-year student at Heriot-Watt University’s school of textiles and design in Galashiels was the pick of the judges in the competition sponsored by East Kilbride company, Scobie & Junor.

As well as featuring in part of their stand at a recent German trade fair, Verna’s designs will have a permanent home at their headquarters.

She said: “The piece has been to Germany and I’m told is now coming back to Scotland to have a home in the entrance to the company’s East Kilbride offices – this is moment of pride for me.”

Scobie & Junor approached the school of textiles and design last year to commission an outfit made from meat netting.

Sometimes known as ‘butcher’s netting’, the product is commonly made from a warp-knitted synthetic material and often incorporates natural rubber to enhance elasticity.

It is used to maintain the shape of roasts or other cuts of meat such as pork loin, turkey breast, or roast beef, while they cook.

Verna was one of six students who took up the challenge to create fashionwear from the packaging.

She used about 60m (200ft) of the netting to create the blue three-piece outfit of a tank-top, cape and skirt – all featuring Pictish monograms.

The Galashiels-based student added: “The fabric was unconventional as you only ever see it in the supermarket.

“Scobie & Junor wanted to create something different for the trade show in Germany.

“My outfit has a lot of Scottish cultural inspiration – and I think this impressed them.”

The Picts ruled the northern parts of Scotland up to about the 9th Century.

Their unique symbolism remains a focus of academic research.

Simon Moorhouse from Scobie & Junor said: “Seeing our meat netting transformed into a striking fashion piece has been both inspiring and thought-provoking.

“It’s a testament to the creativity of the next generation of designers and a reminder that innovation often comes from the most unexpected places.”