DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
ROMANCE MEETS ROCK
By Andrew Dudgeon
Independent Scottish designer and Creative Director, Danielle Rattray honed her experience in graphic design and branding before building her reputation in textile and eyewear design. Danielle’s designs are known for their bold shapes, confident use of colour and high material quality. Her trademark ‘romance-meets-rock’ aesthetic is inspired by strong and independent women; friends, musicians, artists and colleagues. As well as building her eponymous collection, Danielle co-founded Scottish design agency Dark North Ltd and for the past several seasons, Design Director of Scottish sunglass brand Tens. A graduate of the University of Dundee’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Danielle was born and raised in Aberdeen. Her design studio and office remain based in the seaside town of Stonehaven.
Danielle’s collections are designed from the ground up in the north east of Scotland. Danielle and her small team are dedicated to confident contemporary design and work with high quality British and French manufacturers. Danielle’s products are hand made; eyewear by specialist manufacturers in the Rhone Alpes region of France, her Italian silk scarves, accessories and apparel in the United Kingdom and knitwear manufactured in Scotland. Danielle focuses on superb fit, balance and the highest possible quality in all that she creates. She aims to build unique and inspiring products that can be enjoyed for generations.
The Danielle Rattray eyewear collection is dedicated to the strong, independent modern woman. Using bold shapes and a decisive colour palette, Danielle’s designs are strong and feminine, inspired by musicians, designers, personalities of fashion and pop culture. A working Mum raising two sons, Danielle is a champion of equality and women in business. Danielle seeks out like-minded collaborators in the fashion, music, design and arts space and is dedicated to her Scottish roots and cultural style.
“The 2024 Collection ‘Scottish Hearts’
After working and traveling extensively over the past few years, the 2024 Collection ‘Scottish Hearts’ is my dedication to my Scottish and British music heritage, to my fashion and punk inspirations, particularly Lee McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. My customers, team and friends in France particularly inspired me to be more bold in my design and styling expressions. Having seen some fantastic music acts that toured Scotland in 2023, I was inspired to be more ‘front footed’ and confident in how I fused my feminine shapes and silhouettes with strong colours and angles, and of course always putting a punk twist on Scottish icons like tartan.”
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