The Aberdeen Tailors Incorporation has marked another successful year of supporting local creative talent as it hosted its third annual Tailors’ Professional Development Awards for HND Textiles students at North East Scotland College (NESCol) on February 11, 2026.
The event drew an audience of more than 80 family members, supporters and invited guests, all keen to view the students’ work and celebrate their achievements.
Throughout the evening, students presented a wide range of materials demonstrating the development of their skills, including detailed workbooks, digital presentations and completed garments. Their displays highlighted both technical ability and artistic interpretation, reflecting the substantial effort invested in their projects over the course of the year. Members of the Aberdeen Tailors Incorporation served as judges, bringing their experience and understanding of design, craftsmanship and professionalism to the assessment process.
This year’s theme, The Incorporated Trades, encouraged students to explore Aberdeen’s historic Trades as sources of inspiration. Each group developed its own creative response to the brief. Among the interpretations were concepts inspired by the Bakers Incorporation, the Hammermen Incorporation and the Fleshers Incorporation, as well as the Wrights & Coopers Incorporation, whose associated student group was ultimately selected as this year’s winning team. Judging took place during the interval, allowing guests to engage with the displays while the panel deliberated.
Feedback from attendees was extremely positive, with many noting the quality and ambition of the students’ work. The evening continues to establish itself as an important fixture in the trade’s calendar, not only celebrating creativity but also fostering strong links between the Incorporation and the region’s next generation of designers and makers. The awards form part of the Incorporation’s wider commitment to supporting local education and encouraging students as they progress towards further study and future careers within the creative industries.
The winners will receive its certificate and financial award next week during a presentation at NESCol by Deacon Parkinson, recognising the team’s achievement and the high standard of work demonstrated through its final project.