I wore a kilt to a climate action, just for the hell of it, and it changed my life. A Scotsman stopped me in the street and said, “Aye, that’s what this movement needs, its own clan tartan!” He was Loftus McLeod of Skye, a freedom fighter who founded the Liberation Kilt Company to fight 18th-Century injustices, for which he received the 1781 Disturber of the Peace Award.

Egged on by McLeod, a group of us were arrested on Capitol Hill for protesting the hijacking of a climate & energy bill by the fossil fuel lobby. Sitting in a DC jail, I realized McLeod was right. What our fractured movement needed was a unifying symbol that anyone could wear, whatever their affiliation. Drawing on tartan's legacy as a badge of identity, we designed a climate change tartan and resurrected the Liberation Kilt Company.

Named in honor of Dr. Charles Keeling, the climate scientist, our Keeling tartan was worn at COP26 by the World Wildlife Fund delegation, including Eliud Kipchoge, the world champion marathon runner. Greta Thunberg gladly received a Keeling-clad WWF panda.

We've since designed tartans against human trafficking (Blueheart tartan), the persecution of writers (Havel tartan), nuclear proliferation (Yamaguchi tartan), deepening inequality (Liberty Square tartan), creeping authoritarianism (Tahrir tartan), and other scourges.

Partnering with global universities, the V&A and NGOs, our Rebel Tartan Project empowers art and fashion students around the world to confront global issues in radically creative ways. Browse 60 awesome portfolios here.

With 12 years of art and activism under our belt, it was time to open a store. We offer bespoke kilts and a barmy collection of t-shirts featuring kilted skeletons (big hit with Oxford students). More to follow.

We offset shipping emissions by investing a portion of each sale in carbon removal start-ups, such as Running Tide. We reinvest a chunk of our profits in the Rebel Tartan Project—now in its 10th year and still going strong.

We're incubating a cool retail concept combining clothing/accessories, weaving, bespoke tailoring, books, talks, screenings, music, food & art—uniting people for a catalytic experience!

While you're here, why not grab a shirt? —Giles, Chief Cook & Bottlewasher