Harris Tweed, from land to street – Book Reviews

It’s the biggest fictional hero endorsement to hit the Hebridean textile industry since Sherlock Holmes chose a Harris Tweed deerstalker. Our revelation on Saturday that the jacket worn by the eleventh Doctor Who, Matt Smith, is a vintage Dunn & Co two-by-two dogtooth will, we hope, galvanise fresh interest in this great, 100 per cent new wool cloth — a material that should be as synonymous with Britain as denim is with the US. –The Times 31 March 2010
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Harris Tweed: From Land to Street is a beautiful book that attempts, through photographic vignettes and small bits of text, to capture the feeling of Harris Tweed. This is no small endeavour: part of the appeal of Harris Tweed is in its texture and feel, something difficult to represent on paper. Nonetheless, Lara Platman’s book does a phenomenal job of capturing a little bit of the essence of Harris Tweed, following it from its woolly beginnings to its finely crafted result. Wellcultured.com
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Lara Platman’s beautiful book celebrates the industry with a series of photographic portraits that show how deeply rooted Harris tweed is in its landscape and indigenous culture. Her ability as a photographer to get under the skin of her subject, her eye for colour, light and local identity, make this book a must for anyone interested in the iconic Hebridean textile. – Country Life
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A celebration of craftsmanship, dedication and a way of life. – Dundee Courier & Advertiser
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I have a number of wonderful photographic books about the Western Isles – The Hebrideans by Gus Wylie was the starting point for the E Tautz autumn/winter 2010 collection – but they’re all in black and white. This volume, in full colour, is less romantic but more real than all the others. – GQ magazine
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A timely look at the people behind the cloth. The text presents a thorough history and the images are excellent – Lara Platman has produced a fascinating book. – Amateur Photographer
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Platman outlines the journey from sheep to fabric, and from the Hebrides to Savile Row, all lovingly illustrated with her beautiful documentary photography. – Crafts
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Lara Platman spent a year with the farmers, mill workers and weavers who produce the cloth, and with the tailors and designers who fashion it into some of the most stylish garments around. Her evocative portraits of the people and the place tell a remarkable story of craftsmanship and survival. – Homes & Interiors Scotland
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Her intimate portraits, laid out in Harris Tweed: From Land to Street, follow the fabric as it is created: from the birth of the Cheviot lambs, to their shearing, the washing and sorting of the fleece and the creation of the yarns, right up until the final moment – the gentleman’s suit, proudly displayed, on a mannequin in a Savile Row tailor’s window. – Independent
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