Harris Tweed Hebrides

A Shawbost, Isle of Lewis mill that dyes, spins and finishes Harris Tweed, working with around 120 home weavers across the Outer Hebrides.

About Harris Tweed Hebrides

Harris Tweed Hebrides produces Harris Tweed, a cloth that by law must be handwoven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides. The company's mill on the Isle of Lewis dyes and spins the wool, sends it to home weavers to weave, and takes the cloth back to be washed, dried and finished. It is made under the Harris Tweed Act 1993 from 100 per cent pure new wool, and each length carries the Orb stamp to prove where it comes from. A FashionUnited feature says the company blends about 60 base colours into more than 180 yarn shades.

The company was set up in 2007 to promote, communicate and sell Harris Tweed fabric, according to the Walpole British Luxury member page. Its sources name no founder, and we have not guessed one. Its stated ethos is to support the island economy and provide sustainable rural employment, with traditional craft skills and high quality at its core. Margaret Ann Macleod, the sales director, speaks for the company in the FashionUnited feature. We did not find a longer mission statement from the company itself.

The mill is in North Shawbost on the Isle of Lewis, about 18 miles from Stornoway, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Home weavers work across Lewis and Harris. FashionUnited says the company sends yarn to roughly 120 home weavers, and across the islands about 160 home weavers work with three mills, producing about 1.5 million metres of cloth a year. One third of its output stays in the UK and two thirds is exported to more than 60 countries, according to the two sources, which both date from 2021 or earlier.

On people, about 70 people work at the Shawbost mill, according to both the Walpole page and the FashionUnited feature. The weavers are self-employed home workers who pass weaving skills down through families. The feature names weaver Ian Mackay, then 51, who weaves about 10 hours a day. It lists brands that have used Harris Tweed, including Polo Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Dior, Hermes and Vivienne Westwood, as well as a trainer collection with Nike. These claims come from the company's spokesperson and the member page.

Jobs in a mill like this include dyers who colour the wool, spinners, mill technicians, finishing and quality staff who check each length, warehouse and dispatch teams, designers who develop new colours and patterns, and sales staff who talk to fashion brands and tailors. It is a rare example of a fashion supplier whose work supports remote island communities. The company's own website is the place to look for current roles.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Handwoven tweed for fashion, tailoring and accessories, made under the Harris Tweed Act 1993.', 'title': 'Harris Tweed cloth'}
• {'desc': 'Wool dyed and spun at the Shawbost mill, with about 180 yarn shades.', 'title': 'Dyeing and spinning'}
• {'desc': 'Washing, drying and finishing cloth after the weavers return it to the mill.', 'title': 'Finishing'}

Key facts

• Established 2007; mill in North Shawbost, Isle of Lewis
• About 70 people work at the mill and about 120 home weavers weave for it (2021 feature)
• One third of output stays in the UK; two thirds exported (2021 feature)
• Harris Tweed is protected by the Harris Tweed Act 1993 and carries the Orb mark

Website: www.harristweedhebrides.com