Art, Harris Tweed,

I have been out and about this weekend; I went to a small art exhibition of local artists and stopped by a couple of craft shops selling local hand made goods. While at the art exhibition I found myself in conversation with a couple who were on holiday in the area but had lived all their lives in the small Hebridian Island of Harris.
As we talked, the conversation turned to the remarkable success of the islands best known export, Harris Tweed. When you think of Harris Tweed you aromatically conjure up images of men in hunting jackets out amongst the heather shooting pheasant, well I have to tell you, the product has changed.
All of the quality remains, all of it is still hand made on the Islands but the patterns and designs are not restricted to the traditional mens wear, now you can find soft furnishings, ladies fashion and accessories all made out of Harris Tweed in every colour and pattern imaginable. This is genuinely a local cottage craft practiced by artisans that became a global export industry.

From the websitehttp://www.harristweedhebrides.com/

Harris Tweed has been described as “the Champagne of fabrics” and;
 is the only fabric in the world governed by  its own Act of Parliament.
This legal status was reached in a 1993 Act of Parliament (before this Harris Tweed was protected by Common Law Trademark Certification) and this legislation underpins the unique status of Harris Tweed.
The law decrees that genuine Harris Tweed must be made from pure virgin wool which has been dyed and spun on the islands and handwoven at the home of the weaver in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The cloth is then returned to the mill for finishing. Only then can it be given the famous Orb stamp which authenticates it. Each piece of tweed can be traced back to the individual home weaver.
Harris Tweed is about quality and style as well as history and heritage.  It is the fabric of choice for many of the world’s leading designers as well as their most discerning clients.
And while best-known for its role as a fashion fabric, Harris Tweed is also used increasingly by discerning designers for interiors, furnishings and accessories.
In the mid-19th century, the Isle of Harris was owned by the Earl of Dunmore and his wife, Lady Dunmore, who first saw the potential for selling this fabric, produced by the tenants on their looms, to her acquaintances in London.

As its reputation grew, and Harris Tweed was embraced by royalty, the industry had to adapt to commercial production, while maintaining the crucial requirement that it must be handwoven at the home of the weaver.
Success led to imitations and legal protection was sought for the genuine article.
The Harris Tweed Association was formed in 1909 and the adoption, a year later, of the world-famous Orb trade mark, which authenticates genuine Harris Tweed. This provided common law protection as a certification trademark and this provided the basis for The Act of Parliament which was finally passed in 1993.
As Harris Tweed boomed, the Hattersley domestic loom was introduced in the 1930s and could be found in more than 1000 Hebridean homes for the next half century. The industry brought prosperity to the island economy when there was little else to sustain it.
With fashion and lifestyle changes, there was a decline in sales from the 1980s. In response to market demands, a double-width handloom was developed and then introduced in the 1990s, bringing a period of stability to the industry.
However, there was a desperate need for improved marketing and new ideas. The Shawbost mill closed in 2005, was taken over by the new company Harris Tweed Hebrides in 2007 and we now account for over 90 per cent of Harris Tweed production. Like Harris Tweed itself, a great Hebridean success story!
In the mid-19th century, the Isle of Harris was owned by the Earl of Dunmore and his wife, Lady Dunmore, who first saw the potential for selling this fabric, produced by the tenants on their looms, to her acquaintances in London.
As its reputation grew rapidly, and Harris Tweed was embraced by royalty, the industry had to be adapted to commercial production – while still maintaining the crucial requirement that it must be handwoven at the home of the weaver.

Success led to imitations and legal protection was sought for the genuine article. The Harris Tweed Association was formed in 1909 and the adoption, a year later, of the world-famous Orb trade mark, which authenticates genuine Harris Tweed. This provided common law protection as a certification trademark and this provided the basis for The Act of Parliament which was finally passed in 1993.
As Harris Tweed boomed, the Hattersley domestic loom was introduced in the 1930s and could be found in more than 1000 Hebridean homes for the next half century. The industry brought prosperity to the island economy when there was little else to sustain it.
Changing lifestyles led to a decline in sales from the 1980s onwards but the introduction of a double-width handloom was developed and introduced in the 1990s which bought a period of stability to the industry.
There was still a need to update ideas and designs. This resulted in the present company ‘Harris Tweed Hebrides’, which took over 90% of the business in  2007, branching out into accessories, ladies fashions and soft furnishings.

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Oct 12, '10 acousticeagle said Love the boots. me too Donna, I'm surprised no one else commented on the boots, I think they are brilliant.

delete reply acousticeagle wrote on Oct 12, '10 Love the boots. I really like the look of these fabrics, but are they at all scratchy? I used to have a riding jacket that was lined with satin. I could quite imagine the same jacket in this tweed. I'm in a craft group in my town where many of the women dye and spin their own wool. They do some weaving too, but not really really fine weaving, just with looms. They are a very dedicated bunch.

delete reply djdx wrote on Oct 12, '10 Thanks for your reply and link.

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Oct 11, '10 This is beautiful fabric, so colourful and as your article says not just for men any more. BTW, hope you got your heating fixed. Bet it's starting to cool down especially at night.

delete reply mitchylr wrote on Oct 11, '10 Good to see, in this day and age of global commercialism, a traditional industry that hasn't been taken over or destroyed. More power to the people of Harris!!

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Oct 11, '10, edited on Oct 11, '10 djdx said Wonder how much it is a yard........ I went to the web site to check, they sell lengths, different designs cost different amounts, one of the more old fashioned and traditional designs that I looked at 'Cost per 2.5m x 1.5m Length of Tweed is £75 (inc VAT)' There is a lot on that web site, including online selling of fabric and garments, but I found the web site very difficult to load, it took ages and sometimes got 'stuck between pages. If your computer can cope with the site its worth a look. http://www.harristweedhebrides.com/

delete reply djdx wrote on Oct 11, '10 I was not expecting so much colour. Wonder how much it is a yard........ Just wondering, it is surely out of my league.

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Oct 10, '10 Harris Tweed has been a favorite of mine for years. I bought a jacket in London years ago and still have it. Thank you for the information.

delete reply welshdoug wrote on Oct 10, '10 I don't think Rolf would wear this..... rofl

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Oct 10, '10 very cozy looking with autumn rushing in i need it :)

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Oct 10, '10 I want that little aqua purse. Fascinating article. We need crafts like this in the US. Large super-stores put a lot of craftors out of business.