Harris Tweed Tradition Continues
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.29.06
With all the interest in new fashion that is eco-friendly and produced locally by cottage industries, it is worth remembering that some people have been doing this for a very long time. Take Harris tweed: the tweed sport jackets sported by academics and wanna-be’s, usually accompanied by a pipe, and purchased mainly by Americans and Japanese. The cloth has been made in the Outer Hebrides, in the West of Scotland for centuries. Whilst most of Scotland experienced the Industrial Revolution in the 1780’s, the Outer Hebrides did not and they have retained the traditional processes of manufacturing cloth to this very day. The soft, heather colours of the fabric are still hand-woven by the islanders at their own homes. All the pure virgin wool is taken from sheep on the islands, and spun, dyed and finished in local mills. At the peak of its popularity in the 1960’s, they produced 7 thousands metres of cloth a year. But fashion changed, particularly in the U.S. and this dropped to 4.5 thousand by the late 1980’s. Now it is picking up again—Nike produced a series of running shoes using tweed in the side panels. And it has just been bought by an English entrepreneur who wants to boost up its image. Coming soon to your local hip boutique… :: The Guardian
It is difficult for me to see how a business can be thought of as local when it produces in Scotland and its markets are in the US and Japan.
I think by local, you mean a business that has not fled to another country for cheaper labor.
I disagree. "Local" means any business that produces material using more efficient local-based methods. That doesn't mean a Scottish weaver can't export.
After all, the isles of Scotland is the optimium place to raise sheep, but are no good for raising oranges. The weavers have access to and control over the raw materials, and control over the quality of the finished product. They can then export this thing they're best at making in exchange for stuff they can't produce at home, like oranges.
There is definitely a dynamic tension between the efficiencies generated by economies of scale and the economic good sense of local industry. There is also a conflict between variety of products in the market and the efficiencies generated by only having a limited variety. I think the touchstone should be how much waste is generated by one or the other of your choices. For millenia the isles of Scotland have had profound expertise in this field, they should be encouraged to exploit it
I don't think there are any adverse macro efects. There is after all only a limited market for $500 tweed jackets and $100 bottles of whiskey .
I am completely in agreement with you that trade is good and raises the standard of living for all involved when done right, so I am not arguing against trade.
Rather, I'm questioning how you can call a business whose predominant markets are thousands of miles away "local".
If you read back through postings, I see a trend in local really meaning physical distance (see the 100-mile Thanksgiving challenge).
The Englishman that bought one of the remaining mills (which provides the yarn and finishes the cloth for the local islanders who do the actual weaving) has decided to reduce the more than 8,000 known patterns and infinite variety of colours of yarns down to a grand total of FIVE! Where upon he will market made in Hong Kong men's jackets exclusively under his label. He has decided to not support the fashion industry that still accounts for the production of over 500,000 metres of Harris Tweed each year. (BTW the person writing the original article mis-states at the height of production in the 1960's the output was over 7 MILLION metres per annum.) His decisions will impact the remaining 100 or so hand weavers of this unique cloth - defined since 1911 by an Act of Parliament. The other remaining mill is struggling to find the financial means to ensure that these jobs and the cultural heritage of these remote islands continues. I would encourage anyone who loves 'locally produced' to learn more and purchase a garment made of this iconic fabric before it's too late.
"...call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye..."
Teresa Fritschi