Overview
Title: Harris Tweed Hebrides’ commitment to British wool
Date: Thursday 11 July 2024
Duration: 20 minutes
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Summary
In this Fireside Chat, Margaret Ann Macleod, CEO of Harris Tweed Hebrides speaks to WTiN’s features editor Abigail Turner about one of the UK’s most famous heritage brands. They discuss the company’s commitment to sustainable practices across the Harris Tweed® industry, using only 100% British farmed wool and supporting local rural communities across the UK.
The Harris Tweed manufacturing process always starts with fibre-dyeing the raw wool, the dyed wool is then blended, carded, spun and warped in small batches, ahead of the handweaving process at the islanders’ croft homes. The woven fabric is then returned to the company’s Shawbost Mill for final finishing and authentication by the Harris Tweed Authority as genuine Harris Tweed®. The Harris Tweed Hebrides fabric collection is known for its depth of depth of colour, vibrancy of patterns and fabric quality, the company will launch its new autumn/winter 2025/26 collection at Milano Unica and Premiere Vision New York.
The heritage textile company has recently invested £1.5m (US$1.9m) to enhance its mill operation, based on the island of Lewis & Harris. Macleod touches upon how Harris Tweed Hebrides will maximise the benefits of the company’s investment programme to improve its manufacturing operation, while upskilling its workforce and protecting the future of the business as a key player in the UK’s woollen textile industry. Macleod expresses her concerns about the EU’s Green Claims Directive and the proposed use of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology, specifically the negative impact the proposals will have on wool-based textiles, Harris Tweed Hebrides are working alongside British Wool to support the work of the Make the Label Count campaign.
The company has gained interest from a number of luxury brands over the years, including Manolo Blahnik and Vivienne Westwood. Recently, Harris Tweed Hebrides collaborated with Maria Grazia Chiuri on the Dior 2025 Cruise Collection, which premiered at Drummond Castle in Scotland in early June. Macleod explained why this was of particular importance to the Scottish fashion and textile industry and how Harris Tweed Hebrides fabrics were presented by Dior alongside Scottish textile industry peers, including Johnson of Elgin, which will bring a positive boost to the upcoming autumn/winter selling season.
