Harris Tweed cloth - Clò Mòr (Scottish Gaelic for “Big Cloth”) – is the only fabric in the world governed by its own Act of Parliament, and the only fabric produced in commercial quantities using truly traditional methods.
Authentic Harris Tweed is made from 100% virgin wool that is dyed, spun, carded, woven by hand and finished all in the Outer Hebrides, a long archipelago off the far northwestern coast of Scotland. No part of the process takes place elsewhere.
It's a fabric known for its toughness and warmth in the cold winter months.
Unusually, the wool is dyed before being spun, allowing for a multitude of colours to be blended into the yarn, creating a cloth of great depth and complexity. Indeed, Some Harris Tweed yarn shades are a combination of eight solid wool colours, skilfully blended together to create one shade.
The Harris Tweed industry can be traced back to the 18th century when the inhabitants of the islands began weaving the cloth for their own use, and to use for barter. The industry evolved over time, and by the 19th century, Harris Tweed had gained recognition for its quality and durability. Local weavers used the wool from the sheep of the region, and the colours of the tweed were often influenced by the natural landscape of the islands.
In 1909, the Harris Tweed Orb trade mark was introduced to distinguish authentic Harris Tweed from imitations, and the Harris Tweed Association, a voluntary body, was formed to protect both the use of the Orb Mark and to protect the use of the name “Harris Tweed” from imitations.
The Harris Tweed Act of 1993 further solidified the fabric's authenticity and protected its production; and the following definition of genuine Harris Tweed became statutory:
"Harris Tweed means a tweed which has been hand woven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the islands of Harris, Lewis, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra and their several purtenances (The Outer Hebrides) and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides".
Today, every 50 metres of Harris Tweed are checked by an inspector from the Harris Tweed Authority before being stamped, by hand, with the Orb Mark.
Harris Tweed cloth is exported to over 50 countries. From traditional markets in Europe, North America and the Far East to the emerging BRIC nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China, the cloth finds its way to every corner of the planet … and every last piece of it comes from the crofts and mills on some tiny Scottish islands at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
Despite facing challenges from industrialisation and changing fashion trends, Harris Tweed has managed to maintain its appeal.
Finally, imagine the reaction from home-shed-weaver Donald John MacKay when he received an order in 2014 from Nike for 9,500 metres of his fabric. Unable to cope with the demand for the product on his own – his daily output was around 25 metres – MacKay mobilised most of the weavers in the Western Isles. A limited-edition female training shoe, the Terminator, was duly launched — with the Orb Mark appearing on its tongue, alongside the Nike "swoosh". Further commissions ensued. It proved to be a turning point for the entire Harris Tweed industry.
Story Idea: Remo Giuffré
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Postscript
Check out this interview (spoken in Gaelic with subtitles) with Kenny Maclennan about the workings of the single width, or Hattersley loom. Once common in Lewis and Harris, the double width has replaced the Hattersely in the production of Harris Tweed, but the sight and sound of these remains an iconic part of island history.
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References
harristweed.org
wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris_tweed
harristweedcarloway.com
scotsman.com/news/harris-tweed-goes-trendy-with-big-order-for-nike-trainers
Images
1. Harris Tweed fabric bearing the Harris Tweed Orb Mark. 100% pure new wool hand woven cloth. Made in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland by artisan craftsmen at the Carloway Mill.
2. Harris Tweed fabric on a Hattersley loom
3. The Outer Hebrides. Map: Encyclopedia Brittanica, Inc.
4. Traditional crofting village where Harris Tweed is woven in Ballallan, Isle of Lewis
5. Harris Tweed weaver, circa 1960
6. Wool colours for spinning into yarn
7. Video: The Big Cloth, Harris Tweed Authority. Short documentary about the Harris Tweed industry on the Island of Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. \
8. Applying the Harris Tweed Orb Mark to a bolt of fabric
9. Harris Tweed ad from 1953
10. Harris Tweed jacket via Palava.com
11. Donald John Mackay at work in his loom-shed. Credit: Glyn Satterley.
