More than 40 retailers are dressing up their stores in preparation for Edinburgh Fashion Week which kicks off tomorrow with catwalk shows and special discounts for shoppers.

Models Lorna Brown and Mika Kailes opened proceedings with a pre-event shoot near the National Galleries where a marquee for this weekend’s shows will be held.

National stores including Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser and River Island will be among those holding events to showcase their styles alongside boutique shops such as Kakao by K, Jane Davidson and Fabhatrix.

Organiser Paul Wakefield said this is likely to be the first of an annual event and was aimed at showing what Edinburgh’s retail sector had to offer. It was not in competition with the Edinburgh Fashion Festival built around the designers which runs in July.

John Donnelly, chief executive of Marketing Edinburgh which is staging Edinburgh Fashion Week as part of the £1 million This Is Edinburgh campaign, said the response from retailers and the public had been “incredible”.

He said: “Demand for tickets has surpassed all our expectations.”

Daily Business will be reporting from the weekend shows.

Photography: Hayley Murden