Shawbost mill lands significant order from Belgian designer 4/2/10
The main Harris Tweed mill has clinched a “significant order” from the star of the recent Paris Fashion Week.
Belgian designer Dries Van Noten who has won rave reviews for his menswear collection, which featured Harris Tweed and other traditional fabrics, has struck a deal with Harris Tweed Hebrides on Lewis to supply him with the iconic cloth.
The textile will be woven by a squad of weavers around Lewis and Harris and finished at the Shawbost mill.
The firm, which exports to over 50 countries, now manufactures over 90% of total Harris Tweed.
Harris Tweed Hebrides creative director, Mark Hogarth, welcomed Van Noten’s use of the fabric.
He said: “Dries Van Noten is widely credited as one of of the world’s leading designers. He has a deep knowledge of art and fashion which was evident in the Paris collection.
“Seeing Harris Tweed used in such an original way is great for the industry – where Van Noten leads, others normally follow.”
HTH chief executive, Iain Angus Mackenzie, confirmed that Van Noten’s company has now placed “a significant order” with the Shawbost mill.
He said: “We were delighted to work with him and to produce exactly what his collection required. It is another boost for Harris Tweed that it has been so well received.”
The Guardian rated Van Noten’s show at “number one” in its top ten of Paris menswear collections.
Describing his collection, Van Noten said: “I wanted to play with tradition, but in a very young way. When you want to play with menswear, you always have to do it with a bit of tradition, otherwise it becomes ridiculous.”