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Harris Tweed Weaves Magic In Winter Chill
4:53pm UK, Friday February 12, 2010
Russell Luckock, business contributor
THE LONG, cold winter has been of great benefit to Harris Tweed Hebrides, the leading producer of the world-famous cloth.
Islanders wash, dry, crop, shave and steam set wool grown on mainland
Demand for the product has been exceptionally strong for three reasons. First, the cold weather being experienced throughout Europe; second, it is currently very fashionable; and third it is very environmentally friendly.
In other words, it ticks all the boxes.
Chief executive Ian Mackenzie confirmed that business was very good. He said: “Ninety percent of the product we produce is for the export market, and demand is buoyant.
“We export to over 30 countries worldwide, with the main customers being based in Europe, although some cloth is sent to Japan, Hong Kong and Korea.”
Harris Tweed Hebrides employs about 40 skilled workers in a small village, North Shawbost, on the bleak west coast of Harris. However, the cloth is actually produced by over 100 home workers scattered through the islands. It is then sent from their workshops into the factory for processing.
Material is in high demand abroad
This involves washing, drying, cropping and shaving before finally steam setting. The product is then inspected by the Harris Tweed Authority, and, if suitable, receives an appropriate stamp. In fact, Harris Tweed is the only fabric in the world that is governed by its own Act of Parliament.
All the wool used comes from sheep on the Scottish mainland, mainly from Cheviots, and then shipped up to the Hebrides for processing. The wool from local island sheep is too coarse for clothes, and is mainly woven for carpets.
Callum Maclean has been weaving on his four-acre croft, located at the Port of Ness on the far north of the island, for the last 30 years. He has two looms and, at times, has to work up to 14 hours a day, six days a week, to meet demand.
At the moment, business is very good, and the outlook encouraging. He told me that he is always learning. He said: “Initially, you need some six months to learn to operate the machines, then you have to constantly learn to cope with new designs.” Weaving, he told me, is a craft, perfected with years of experience.
Finally, I turned to Sara Berman, who is universally recognised as the leading fashion designer of ladies attire using Harris Tweed in the UK. Based in London, she designs luxury coats and jackets for discerning ladies.
She said: “The very fact that all the cloth is hand woven in people’s homes, and that there are thousands of different patterns, is a major selling point when set against mass-produced product.”
She told me that a host of different designs were exported all over the world, in particular to Japan and the US. “Harris Tweed is very fashionable at the moment, and is in great demand, with coats selling in the £300-£450 price range,” she said.
Now, at my age, I feel the cold, and have three Harris Tweed jackets which keep out the icy blasts, especially this winter. It is great to know that in a highly commercial world there is still a place for the cottage industry, where skill is valued – especially when aligned to talented designers who can lead the market with flair.
Even more important is the fact that it a totally designed and produced British product.
Russell Luckock is Chairman of A.E. Harris Co, a company serving the engineering sector based in Birmingham.