Take inspiration from the magical city of Edinburgh and the windswept landscape that surrounds it to style your very own heroine-worthy wardrobe.
Steeped in myth and legend, the hills and castles of Edinburgh provided the perfect backdrop for a celebration of heritage fabrics and Medievalcore style references.
Lauren Rhiannon, our model for this shoot, is a content creator from Aberdeen who makes Scottish Gaelic language and culture accessible as she travels around Scotland and shares her everyday life as a Gaelic speaker with her sweet dog, Brochan (which means “porridge” in Gaelic). Lauren was raised speaking Gaelic as a normal part of her life and lessons at school growing up in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
“I think growing up through the Gaelic education system you’re very much in a bubble where everyone around you is speaking it all the time and that’s very normal, but you cannot help but be very aware of the narrative that this is a dying language,” Lauren tells us. “It becomes almost romanticized to a lot of people as this ancient language that has been lost… But this is very much still a living, breathing language to the people who speak it.”
Lauren started sharing videos with Scottish Gaelic phonetics to show people that Scottish Gaelic isn’t as intimidating or a lost language. “There may already be a lot of words that you use in your normal vocabulary that you don’t realize is actually from Gaelic already,” Lauren says. “It became important to me, the more that the narrative was being pushed that this is a lost language I just thought ‘No, it doesn’t need to be.’ When you look at apps like Duolingo there’s over a million people registered to learn Scottish Gaelic, so there’s clearly an appetite for it, you just need to tap into people’s curiosity and make it accessible.”
As a woman in the public eye, Lauren is constantly navigating the tension of what it means to be seen by others as she shares her work online. Unsolicited comments from strangers on her appearance is an unfortunate part of showing her face in her videos, and all women experience this phenomenon on a smaller scale, to a certain extent, even if they don’t have an online audience.
“You normally only see my face and shoulders in my videos, but the shift from nice, supportive, conversation-starting comments to becoming all about what I look like if I have an evening out and dress up or something different is mad,” Lauren says. “My content has never been focused on me or my looks, so I do feel uncomfortable when people comment on that.”
When reflecting on unsolicited comments people send her about her appearance, one particular instance of a man sending her a list of all the things he didn’t like about her body comes to mind. “I think it’s such a lived female experience where people can often feel like they have the right to critique your appearance,” Lauren tells me. “I just find that so damaging, and it would be so mentally harmful to so many people. I have somewhat learned to have a thick skin, but I also don’t think I should need to learn to have a thick skin; I don’t know why people can’t just learn to be kinder to one another.” As women out in the world we want to enjoy expressing our personal style and feel comfortable in our bodies, but our presence in a public space isn’t an invitation to people to comment on our appearance.
Seeing a woman who shows up as herself in front of the camera can be really liberating for other women to see. “I think there are so many benefits to enjoying a bit of whimsy,” says Lauren. “People should be able to feel good in themselves, because when you feel good in yourself you’re able to put that back into the world. I think we went through a phase in fashion where we lost all color; everyone wanted to be minimalist. But right now there’s a big movement for dopamine-hit dressing, and it brings me so much joy.”
Find Lauren on Instagram to follow her Scottish adventures @laurenrhiannon.
Order your copy of the Courage issue at verilymag.shop.
“I love a cozy, classic, and feminine style. I think especially when you live in Scotland being warm is essential. I’m loving the heritage trend with tartans and tweeds, Aran knits and cable knits that are in the shops at the moment.”
Architect Jacket by Selera | red jumper & folklore blouse, Stylist’s Own | kilt by Selera, boots, Stylist’s Own
“I think being kind to yourself is part of being courageous… knowing when you need to slow down, knowing that you don’t need to earn a break.”
Dress, Stylist’s Own | blouse, vintage | boots, Model’s Own | earrings by Loft & Daughter | rings & arm cuffs, Stylist’s Own
“The unknown is where you grow as a person, and that’s where you really begin to flourish as you experience new things and develop all these different areas of your life. There’s comfort in the safety of what you know, but sometimes you have to step out of the known to benefit from new experiences.”
Coat, Model’s Own | aran jumper, tartan & velvet skirt, Stylist’s Own | boots, Model’s Own | bonnet by Kiltane Scotland
“Trying something new for me as an introvert is especially daunting. It’s the smaller things for me that feel courageous… It takes a lot of courage to do things that are new to you.”
Corduroy suit, Stylist’s Own | blouse, vintage | necklaces by Loft & Daughter | belt, Stylist’s Own
“A lot of the time people imagine courage as a big superhero moment. As a massive introvert filming myself in public and putting that out on the Internet where anyone can share their opinion—that takes courage, for me.”
Model: Lauren Rhiannon
Photographer: Cara Davidson
Stylist: Katharina Geissler-Evans
Styling Assistant: Krystyna Muszynski
Feature web image styling credits: Dress, Stylist’s Own | blouse by Mary Benson London | bonnet by Kiltane Scotland | choker, Stylist’s Own