And the award for best sporran artist goes to . .

TRAINERS, black socks and a bright blue cravat may not be the traditional attire to go with the classic kilt.

But US rapper Snoop Dogg managed to carry off the look in front of a worldwide audience of up to a billion people at the MTV Europe Music Video Awards.

And the star was so enamoured with the outfit - complete with embroidered sporran and bright blue flashes to match his footwear - that he asked to keep it.

Snoop Dogg, who hosted the ceremony at the Munich OlympiaHalle on Thursday, appeared in several European outfits including German lederhosen, but it was the striking kilt which really caught the eye.

Now its Edinburgh designers hope the star, who owns his own clothing label in the US, will wear it with pride at concerts around the world.

The company, based at Haymarket Terrace, was asked to kit out groups of dancers by producers of the MTV Europe Music Video Awards when the event was staged in Edinburgh in 2003.

And when the organisers were looking for the distinctive European outfits for their host they contacted the company again.

Manager Hamish Robertson said: "We couldn't meet him to do a fitting, as it was quite last minute, but we did get all his measurements and had to work with that.

"We put together a casual shirt and jacket with electric blue lining, and matching flashes, to make it a little bit more exciting and eye-catching, and then we paired that with a Scottish/American tartan.

"We also got an embroiderer to stitch 'Snoop Dogg' on to the sporran and the socks, in his distinctive gothic style. We provided the cane as well, to make it seem like a real gentleman's outfit."

The rapper himself did not see the finished product until a few hours before the show was due to start, and Mr Robertson admitted organisers were not sure he would even agree to wear it.

But after trying it on for size, the rapper from Long Beach, California, decided he loved it so much he wanted to keep it.

Mr Robertson said: "We were quite nervous, as no one was really sure if he would go for it or not.

"But in the end he loved it, particularly as the blue flashes matched his trainers. Now we've been told he wants to keep it, and that is great for us.

"I think he actually wore it really well. He looked very natural and comfortable in it, and hopefully he'll wear it again for other concerts.

"We've done a few celebrities in the past - we provided kilts for the Champions League final at Hampden in 2005, but Snoop is by far the most high-profile celebrity we've dressed, so it's a big boost for us."

An MTV spokeswoman said: "We all thought Snoop looked totally fantastic in his kilt and I'm glad he's decided to keep it as I think it will make a great addition to his wardrobe."