Alan Cumming hails power and ‘subversive’ nature of Scottish tartan as biggest ever celebration unveiled

The Scottish Broadway and Hollywood star Alan Cumming has hailed the “power” and “subversive” nature of tartan as the biggest ever celebration of the textile was unveiled in his home country.

The actor and performer, who features in the V&A Dundee exhibition, said he believed wearing tartan allowed Scots to embrace their “national identity”. Speaking ahead of the public opening of the show this weekend, Cumming recalled how tartan had been been banned at one time because it was seen as too “dangerous.”

The new exhibition, which will run until January, features more than 300 objects dating as far back as the 16th century.

Highlights include fashion designs by Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, Dior and Alexander McQueen, a kilt worn in a First World War battle, a portrait of rugby icon Doddie Weir, a Hillman Imp car and a pair of trousers made by a Bay City Rollers fan.

Alan Cumming wore tartan to pick up his OBE at Buckingham Palace in 2009. He decided to hand back the honour several months ago. Picture: Dominic Lipinski

Perthshire-born Cumming is featured in the exhibition in artist Christian Hook’s oil painting.

He said: “I absolutely do feel more Scottish wearing tartan. I feel anyone can wear tartan and they are making a statement of some kind.

"But when you’re Scottish and you wear it, you’re embracing a tradition and your whole sort of national identity. And it has an added layer of subversion, I think. I do feel that tartan is very subversive, and I’ve worn it on several occasions for those very reasons.

“And I think Scottish people are naturally subversive. I definitely feel much more Scottish when I wear it. I love wearing it. It is kind of dandyish and punk, but also traditional at the same time.

Actor Alan Cumming. Picture: Francis Hills

"Tartan has always been modern, because I think of modern being about things that are au courant and very vital in our culture and our society. I think tartan has always taken on that role.

“At times in its history, it has been banned for being too dangerous. It has been rebranded, reinvented and rediscovered by many, many different generations.

“I just think it has this power. This weird collection of colours and lines and geometric patterns has sort of been used by so many different groups over the years to represent themselves. It’s both traditional and punk at the same time. I think it is incredibly modern.”