Picts and pork netting combine in 'unique' dress design

The Herald Scotland

01-06-2025

The Glasgow-based firm approached Heriot-Watt to commission a dress made from its meat netting, one of its most popular products sold across the UK and Europe.
Also known as 'butcher's netting,' the synthetic material is used to keep the shape of roasts, pork loin, turkey breasts, beef roasts and other cuts of meat while they cook.
Verna was one of six students to submit designs for the commission, but it was her incorporation of the culture of ancient Scotland and creativity that earned her the nod. The Picts lived in northern and eastern Scotland and, although they largely disappeared from historical records in the 9th century, their culture and symbolism continues to influence art and language.
Verna Lai stitched together more than 60 metres of synthetic material to create her outfit. (Image: Heriot-Watt University)
Verna said that working with a brand-new material required her to bring together everything that she has been learning over the course of her degree so far.
'It was a huge challenge but you never really learn if you don't challenge yourself.
'My outfit has a lot of Scottish cultural inspiration. I was looking at Pictish monograms, which are unique to Scotland, and was able to include them in my design using meat netting tubes.
'This impressed the company who wanted the heritage link but also seemed to like the techniques I would need to use in order to deliver the design.'
She used roughly 60 metres of meat netting and a combination of hand and machine stitching to create the tank top, skirt, and cape.
Verna's creation made an immediate splash internationally, serving as the showcase piece for Scobie and Junor in Frankfurt, Germany at the meat packaging industry's largest global trade fair.
It took Verna only three weeks from design to completion, and she said she came away feeling proud of what was a daunting task.
'It was an incredible relief to hand over the ensemble once it was finished.
'After a couple of days, I started to feel really proud of what I had achieved in such a short space of time and to overcome so many challenges.
'I remember, for example, when I realised how difficult it was going to be using meat netting as a material, and for some of the outfit, I would need to hand stitch, taking up so much time when I also had to juggle my studies.
'I just cried.
'But then you see the garments come together and what I created pretty much was what I planned from the start.
'That's always the goal when you start to create something.'
The design impressed Scobie and Junor representatives, who made it the centrepiece of their showcase at a global trade fair. (Image: Heriot-Watt University)
Dr Daying Yang, Verna's supervisor and Assistant Professor in Fashion and Fashion Technology at the SOTD, said Verna demonstrated 'exceptional creativity, resilience, and technical skill, transforming an unconventional material into a fashion piece that is both cohesive and rich in cultural reference.
'Verna approached every challenge with determination and clarity of vision, applying the techniques she has learned with ingenuity and purpose.
'Her ability to reimagine a functional product like meat netting into meaningful and visually striking garments is a powerful example of what we aim to nurture at the School of Textiles and Design.
'I'm incredibly proud of what she has achieved.'
Scobie and Junor marketing executive Simon Moorhouse said that Verna's design was exactly what the company was looking for when they commissioned a piece.
'This collaboration with Heriot-Watt University has been a brilliant opportunity to support emerging talent while reimagining our products in a completely new light.
'Seeing our meat netting transformed into a striking fashion piece has been both inspiring and thought-provoking. It's a testament to the creativity of the next generation of designers and a reminder that innovation often comes from the most unexpected places.'
Following its international debut in Germany, Verna's dress will be displayed at the main entrance of Scobie and Junor's headquarters in Kilbride.