Harris Tweed
Do You Know The Story Of This Exceptional Fabric?
Harris Tweed has been made since 1840 and was officially designated as a seal of approval in 1914. A tweed can qualify for this designation only if its wool has been dyed, spun and woven in the Outer Hebrides Islands (located to the west of Scotland), from pure Scottish virgin wool.
It was Count Dunmore, owner of the Isle of Harris, who in 1840 decided to encourage the inhabitants of the Scottish islands to weave the wool of their sheep to market it. It is a quality and a know-how which is quickly noticed and appreciated beyond the borders of Scotland but which will end up opposing the Scots of the islands and the mainland.
Indeed, the inhabitants of the islands claimed their craftsmanship and denounced the continental inhabitants who also appropriated the Harris Tweed label. This discrepancy will also be the subject of the biggest trial that the country has ever known. The verdict gave reason to the inhabitants of the islands, who since that day are the only ones who can give the name Harris Tweed to their fabrics.
In 1893, a law was passed by the British parliament which defined it as follows:
"Harris Tweed is a tweed that has been woven by hand by islanders, at home, within the very precise perimeter of the Outer Hebrides Islands, and more precisely in the islands of Harris, Lewis, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra. The tweed is thus made there from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in this same region of Scotland."
An unique and artisanal confection
This method of making has therefore been carried out for hundreds of years by the inhabitants of these Scottish islands to face the climatic conditions of the country. It is a real know-how that makes it possible to obtain a resistant, waterproof and almost indestructible wool. These qualities make it highly prized by top fashion brands and institutions around the world.
In the past, only the wool from sheep originating and raised on these Scottish islands was used, but given its success and therefore an increasingly strong demand, it is ultimately the wool from all over Scotland that will be used.
Due to its excellence, its history and its reputation, our house could not miss this famous fabric. We have thus combined our creativity and our originality with the authenticity of the splendid Harris Tweed.
Our Harris Tweed Piece
