Harris Tweed: From Land to Street
by
Lara Platman
Harris Tweed is a unique woollen textile hand-woven by generations of islanders in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. Worn worldwide, and much used by fashion designers including Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith, it is increasingly cherished, both for the garments made from it and as a fascinating traditional craft.

This book is a group portrait of the craftsmen who work with Harris Tweed, from the Hebrides to London’s Saville Row. The author will interview and photograph farmers, mill workers, weavers, tailors, and designers, and will also consider their landscape and context. Several tailors on Saville Row, including Henry Poole, Norton & Sons and Huntsman, have welcomed the publication, and will allow the author full access to photograph and interview their staff.

Primarily for those who love to wear Harris Tweed and want to know more about its provenance, the book will also tap into a growing interest in traditional crafts. It will appeal to an audience from the design and fashion industries along with students of fashion, design and textiles.

A celebration of craftsmanship and a way of life, Harris Tweed offers an insight into a lifestyle whose continued existence will surprise many. The book reveals a chain of craftsmen who often work individually, and whose work may be well known while they themselves remain largely unknown outside their special areas of activity. Through its depiction of the working environment of these Living National Treasures; the book gives an important reminder of the skills that are alive in Britain today, some ancient and some modern, and many in danger of being lost.