Harris Tweed Hebrides at the menswear shows

The autumn/winter 2015 Menswear show season may well be looked back on as the moment when fashion got serious. Brands across the four main fashion capitals seemed desperate to show off their ethical credentials and social awareness.

 Style was not compromised in this eco-friendly engagement particularly when it came to the Ermenegildo Zegna show that kicked off Milan Fashion Week. Zegna is a favourite of executives and fashionistas while new creative director Stefano Pilati has brought a new dimension to the Italian superbrand: “After talking to industry experts on sustainable fabrics, Pilati settled on Harris Tweed” Style.com Jan 15th 2015  Photos below.

 More eco-statements were on show at London Collections Men where fine-knitted jumpers with motifs of plastic bags projected slogans like “thanks for nothing". The special environmental testimonial by designer Christopher Shannon was a punkish indication that the fashion industry is getting more engaged with society at large.

 Back to the Clo Mor. Margaret Howell has never really done trendy fashion and her London show relied on the well-cut and well-loved classic soft, utilitarian lines using well produced fabric including our very own Harris Tweed. There are stlll few things more eco-friendly in fashion than a last-a-lifetime Harris Tweed jacket. Photos below.

 Like the Fringe at The Edinburgh Festival, the jamboree of bloggers, stylists, print journalists and fashion executives sashaying around the catwalk shows are proving to be even more influential and entertaining than the main events. Dapper gents and chic ladies on their way (or outta my way in some cases) to the shows draped in styles that are immediately amplified through social media. 

 The entire industry spectrum is being blurred and there is no better personification of this zeitgeist than Nick Wooster. A former buyer and stylist Mr Wooster has teamed up with Italian fabrication powerhouse Lardini to produce an exquisite collection of Tweeds and knits. Naturally The Shawbost Mill was his first stop for “that burst of unique Harris Tweed colour set against some classic herringbones and Glen Checks” Nick Wooster and Harris Tweed Hebrides' Mark Hogarth pictured.

 The Japanese will show their collections in Tokyo over the next few weeks but the Koreans are fast proving that there is more to their exporting prowess than Gangnam style. Classic outerwear is given a seventies New York upscale by Munn and gilets by Bastong  (pictured below) formed part of a collective that earned praise from international press and buyers at Pitti Uomo in Florence. 

 Appreciation of Harris Tweed and careful attention to detail (RIRI zips and cashmere trims) bodes well for the future of the Korean fashion industry and their respect for our fabric makes for a promising partnership.

 Green may be the new black and the pavement the new catwalk but Harris Tweed remains unchanged. That our proud fabric remains so respected and ubiquitous in a changing industry reflects great credit on the mill workers and weavers who contribute their skills to create product that lasts a lifetime… or two. Our sustainable fabric to the world.

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