Edinburgh's new Fashion Festival

Highlights of April's inaugural event

As we brace ourselves for the onslaught of another Fashion Week in London, fashion folk in Edinburgh are organising the city's first ever fashion festival.

Set to run across four days in April starting on 26th, the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival will be open to the public and includes a very special one-off show by Vivienne Westwood, 'The Fabric Of Scotland' which focuses on her use of Scottish textiles in past collections. "Then Now Next' is a three-in-one show by Matthew Williamson, it features classic pieces and a selection from both his spring/summer 06 and autumn/winter 06/07 collections. Jonathan Saunders will also show on the Edinburgh catwalk and, alongside Williamson, he'll participate in an 'In Conversation' forum where people can meet and question the designers face to face about their work.

As well as a week-long programme of fashion films at the Edinburgh Filmhouse, there's a Fashion Marketplace and a showcase of emerging local talent called New Edinburgh. The creative director of EIFF is Mr Fashion Fringe himself, Colin McDowell. Ticket prices vary per event and are limited to 4 per person, £130 buys you a full pass for the week. Tickets go on sale at 9am on March 1st and if you register on the website, you'll be kept up to speed on all the latest details.

• Edinburgh International Fashion Festival runs in Edinburgh City Centre April 26th - 29th 2006. Book tickets on the hotline 0131 228 1155 or online from March 1st.