In a few weeks I will be heading to Puerto Vallarta to attend a wedding of some cherished friends. I will be staying at an all-inclusive resort for a few days for the festivities and a little relaxation. I did not plan to bring a kilt for all sorts of reasons.
But then I got to thinking: my host family has sort of adopted me and invites me to all their holiday gatherings and other occasions. They see me in kilts probably 19 out of every 20 times. So, I decided to commission a kilt for the occasion, and also decided that the ideal person to design and build that kilt would be Paul Henry.
Now as anyone who has poked around Paul's website or paid attention to the threads that he starts, you would know that he is an artist. I have long admired him for his vision and creativity. For him, a kilt is not just a garment, but rather a canvas - rooted in tradition but delightfully contemporary and forward-looking.
So, one day back in June, I told him about my trip and asked how he might approach this project for a tropical kilt. We discussed a number of options. I sort of had in mind white window-pane wool, but who could find that? We talked about his day-glo floral kilt, and other prints from the same source. Paul went shopping, and sent me images and then ultimately samples (pleated, no less) for me to choose.
In the end, I settled on a cream-colored herringbone weave in linen/cotton/nylon blend with enough heft to form a fine pleat. Understated, it appealed to my conservative side, while being so different from traditional kilting fabric to appeal to my contemporary side. In my mind, its color reminded me of the sand on a beach, and I thought it would make a wonderful resort kilt. I gave him my measurements and a couple preferences, and then left the rest of the design up to him.
A couple of weeks ago, Paul chatted me up to tell me it was in the box and ready to go. Less than a week later, it was on my doorstep.
Paul surprised me with natural hide straps, an inside buckle, and a wonderful toile lining that I just love. It is also signed, numbered and personalized with my name.
So, here are the requisite pics:
Thank you, Paul. I am thrilled to have one of your pieces, and I know that my trip will be even more memorable now.
Regards,
Rex.
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