The Dior Bonnet
Celebrating Scottish craftsmanship through a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Balmoral bonnet,
created in collaboration with Dior and renowned milliner Stephen Jones for the Cruise 2025 collection.
Credit: Kirstin McEwan Photography
Robert Mackie x Dior Cruise 2025
For almost 180 years, craftsmanship has been at the heart of everything we do at Robert Mackie of Scotland. While our focus today is on luxury Scottish knitwear, our history began with the traditional Balmoral bonnet, a craft that shaped our business for generations.
That heritage made it an incredible honour to be invited to collaborate with Dior and renowned milliner Stephen Jones on a special project for the Dior Cruise 2025 collection, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Presented at the spectacular Drummond Castle in Scotland, the collection celebrated Scottish history, artistry and craftsmanship. As part of the project, Stephen Jones worked closely with our team in Stewarton to develop a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Balmoral bonnet for the runway.
Welcoming Stephen to our factory was a memorable experience for everyone involved. From development and sampling through to production, this was a true team effort, bringing together creative vision with generations of specialist knowledge. Seeing the finished bonnet showcased as part of the Dior Cruise 2025 collection was an incredibly proud moment for our factory and a wonderful recognition of Scottish craftsmanship on a global stage.
Our Bonnet Heritage
We are immensely proud of our bonnet-making heritage, which represents the origins of our business established in 1845.
Traditional Scottish bonnets evolved from ceremonial headwear worn by Scottish regiments and, over the years, we were honoured to supply leading pipe bands and Scottish clan organisations across the world. The skills required to produce these handmade bonnets were developed and refined over generations, becoming an important part of Stewarton's identity as the historic "Bonnet Toun".
In recent years, demand for these high-quality, handmade traditional bonnets declined significantly, reflecting wider changes within the industry. As a result, we made the difficult decision to cease production in early 2024.
The manufacturing and distribution of Balmorals and Glengarrys has now transferred to House of Tartan in Crieff. We have been pleased to support the transfer of our specialist skills and techniques, helping to ensure this proud Scottish tradition continues for future generations.
A Proud Legacy
Our collaboration with Dior was not a return to traditional bonnet production. Instead, it was an opportunity to celebrate the craftsmanship, heritage and expertise that remain an important part of Robert Mackie's story.
Projects like this demonstrate that traditional skills continue to have a place in contemporary fashion, and we are immensely proud that our team's knowledge contributed to such a remarkable collection.
We would like to thank Stephen Jones, Maria Grazia Chiuri and the Dior team for inviting us to be part of this collaboration. It is a project that reflects the passion, dedication and craftsmanship of our entire factory, and one that we will always be proud to have played a part in.