Pretty Green x Harris Tweed

This season we’ve developed a unique collection made from authentic British Harris Tweed®. The unique Harris Tweed story began more than a century ago and continues to this day. For more than 100 years the skills have been passed down through the generations. Handwoven from pure virgin wool in the outer hebrides of Scotland, Harris Tweed is a staple of British culture and we are proud to feature it within our AW21 collection. As part of the development of this collection we were lucky enough to visit the Harris Tweed Hebrides factory and discover more about the design and development process.

THE ISLAND

The Isle of Harris is in the outer hebrides, a remote Island on the edge of Britain where the sense of community is as deep rooted as the island bedrock itself. Every spring heralds a new cycle of creativity as the island landscape inspires the colours and patterns unique to Harris Tweed Hebrides.

Harris Tweed is the only fabric in the world, governed by its own Act of Parliament - the Harris Tweed Act of 1993, symbolised by the distinctive Orb stamp. This guarantees that each and every stage of the process happens here in these islands

WOOL DYING

Harris Tweed begins by fibre-dying the finest Scottish Cheviot wool to create over 50 solid wool colours that imbue the finished fabric with its renowned depth and intensity of colour. This allows the freedom to create infinite yarn colours and weave combinations. Blending solid colours to achieve a unique mix for each and every Harris Tweed Hebrides yarn shade.

BLENDING

Nothing is left to chance. The blenders follow unique yarn recipes to ensure they mix just the right proportion of each solid colour through the teaser.
 Some Harris Tweed Hebrides yarn shades are a combination of eight solid wool colours, skillfully blended together to create one shade, with a depth of colour that’s unsurpassed.

CARDING & SPINNING

The blended wool is then carded; fed through metal toothed rollers, which gently tease and mix each individual fibre, creating delicate, soft slivers of neatly carded wool. 

Before weaving begins, the carded wool is strengthened by adding a gentle mechanical twist; spinning each individual sliver to create our unique woollen yarn and make it strong enough to work with.

WARPING

It takes a deft touch to handle over 1,400 individual warp threads across the width of each piece of Harris Tweed. Meticulously warping each thread one by one in a regimented order. Winding the warp onto beams ready to deliver to the hand-weavers’ crofts.

FINISHING

Once woven, the tweed returns to the Shawbost Mill for wet finishing. Scouring and milling the tweed before it is carefully dried through the stenter; then cropped and air-blown to a perfect, flawless finish. The Harris Tweed Authority’s "Orb Trademark" is the ultimate seal of authentication on all Harris Tweed Hebrides fabric. A beeswax seal, hand applied to each individual piece of Harris Tweed.

COLLABORATION

From the land, to the factory and the final garment. We are delighted to have collaborated with Harris Tweed Hebrides on this truly unique collection of outerwear pieces. Crafted from 100% British Harris Tweed in classic Pretty Green silhouettes.