Modern place for Harris Tweed

The renaissance of Harris Tweed in recent years has saw the material becoming the backbone of numerous products launched into the market place in order to diversify the appeal of the iconic brand.

But it seems not everyone is convinced of the tweed’s place in the 21^st century, as Minister  Roseanna Cunningham was reported this week in an interview with the Scottish Gamekeeper’s Association’s magazine, that she wouldn’t wear the tweed in the countryside and those that did wear it (apart from ghillies and gamekeepers) had ‘a 19th-century Victorian gentleman’s view of rural Scotland’.

Her comments have attracted heavy criticism from the Tweed Harris industry and countryside dwellers, who championed the material, which is used in garments, accessories and homewares, saying: “It is practical, but beautiful and people from all walks of life appreciate and use it.”

And indeed the material in the last few years has been used in everything from Nike sports shoes to high end couture fashion, as well as being a firm favourite in the home soft furnishings market.

And with yesterday’s news of a new ‘younger appealing’ jacket being created by Harris Tweed Scotland to be launched abroad in January it seems not everyone – thankfully – echoes the Minister’s views.

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