Latest news with #tweed
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Rue Agthonis Maps A Mediterranean Journey Through Two Seasons
Rue Agthonis Maps A Mediterranean Journey Through Two Seasons. Pictured: look from the brand's AW25 collection Courtesy of Rue Agthonis For its two seasonal collections in 2025, luxury house Rue Agthonis has painted a complete portrait of the Mediterranean soul — from the sun-drenched spring to the contemplative winter — in a variety of dramatic and vibrant hues. Known for injecting a dose of modernity into premium tweed, the label marries craftsmanship and natural inspiration again for both SS and AWE25 by showcasing untamed beauty of the Mediterranean landscape. In a unique interpretation of ancient Olympian aesthetics, the house's SS25 collection 'Embracing the Essence' transported audiences to the Apollo's Muse Room with visions of turbulent ocean waves and verdant olive groves. Rue Agthonis' founder and creative director, Syl, has crafted a range of looks with a specific color palette in mind — one that emanates a resort feel that's languorous yet sophisticated, complete with striking authenticity and a unique energy that reminds one of the scenes of White Lotus 2. Adopting warm sunlit tones fused with deep oceanic blues and vibrant greens, Syl describes the collection as 'a visual journey through the Mediterranean landscape.' The designer, whose background spans theatre academy in Shanghai and fashion design in New York, says the region's charm always spoke to her. Look from Rue Agthonis' SS25 collection Courtesy of Rue Agthonis 'Its contrasts of rugged coastlines against serene waters mirror the duality we embrace at Rue Agthonis,' says Syl, referring to Rue Agthonis' spring presentation. 'With 'Embracing the Essence,' I wanted to capture that natural tension between structure and fluidity, between resilience and grace.' This Mediterranean meditation continued into fall, but with dramatically different visuals and silhouettes. 'The Glimpse of Radiance,' unveiled at London's historic Raffles Hotel, dials down on the vibrancy of spring and summer, and explores the same coastal landscape through the lens of twilight and memory. Where this year's first collection celebrates the brilliant clarity of day, autumn embraces the mystery of shadows — think deep shades of black, navy, and charcoal punctuated by glimmers of metallic tinsel. The evolution is in line with Syl's preferred approach to seasonal storytelling. Both collections feature the house's signature materials — luxurious tweeds, shimmering sequins, and flowing silks — with their application reflecting the changing light of the Mediterranean year. Spring's sequins captured the playful dance of sunlight on water; autumn's sequins 'shimmer delicately across structured forms, catching the light with every movement like fragments of a dream.' Looks from Rue Agthonis' SS25 collection Courtesy of Rue Agthonis Look from Rue Agthonis' AW25 collection Courtesy of Rue Agthonis Opting out of its usual runway show and instead staging a presentation, Rue Agthonis follows a trend in luxury names shifting their focus away from the crowded fashion week schedules, and instead creating an immersive experience that's more meaningful to press, buyers, and customers. This decision, Syl notes, reflects the brand's commitment to authenticity. 'These pieces demand to be experienced up close — the interplay of light on our sequins, the depth of our tweeds, the movement of our silks. I've always believed that true luxury reveals itself in the details, in those moments of discovery that can't be rushed.' Rue Agthonis's ethos of striking a delicate balance between resilience and grace — a duality that has become something of a signature for the brand — has allowed the brand to carve out a distinct position in the luxury landscape, one that prioritizes attention to finer details and storytelling that resonates. The Mediterranean thread connecting both collections speaks to something deeper than seasonal inspiration, and notes on the region's enduring feminine vitality and energy. Spring's 'stylishly glamorous yet tastefully coquettish' pieces celebrates vitality and energy, while autumn's 'knee-grazing column gowns rise like modern-day monoliths, embodying a serene authority and strength.'
Bloomberg
06-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Tariffs Get Personal for the Harris Tweed Makers of the Hebrides
In December 1957, Reverend Murdoch MacRae traveled from his parish on Lewis and Harris, one of the Outer Hebridean islands off the north west of mainland Scotland, across the Atlantic Ocean to confront the US Federal Trade Commission in Washington. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's tariffs on woolen imports were threatening an exodus of the island's workers whose hand-woven tweed jackets, trousers and caps — beloved by Americans from Wall Street bankers to the Kennedys and Hollywood actors — were the lifeblood of the local economy. Little did MacRae know that his successful mission to shield islanders from US protectionism would be undone almost 70 years later by the son of a fellow Lewis native, Donald Trump. 'Trump might portray himself as a man of Scottish heritage, he might have used the family Bible at his inauguration,' says Iain Martin, a fourth-generation weaver, but 'that man doesn't care. He's out for himself, nobody else.'
Al Jazeera
04-06-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
‘The epitome of slow fashion': Tweed's youthful makeover in Scotland
'When you see tweed on the runway, you don't expect it to come from here,' joked 38-year-old former banker Alexander MacLeod as he set up his loom in a converted barn on the shores of a Scottish loch. MacLeod became a weaver two years ago, joining residents on the islands of Lewis and Harris, off Scotland's north-west coast, in helping to rejuvenate the tweed industry after a significant period of decline. 'It's a good thing to keep the tradition going.' Tweed is a symbol of Scottish heritage and has 'always been part of the culture' on the Outer Hebrides, added MacLeod, who hails from the island of Scalpay, which is connected to Harris by a bridge. It is now 'an attractive sector to be in', he said. He left the Hebrides for seven years to work in banking, but the pull of his roots proved too strong. During the day, MacLeod now works for a small local cosmetics company. In the evenings, he puts on a podcast and patiently begins to weave. Only the steady hum of his machine disturbs the calm of the old stone barn. Harris Tweed, traditionally made from 100 percent wool, is the only fabric protected by a 1993 Act of Parliament. It must be 'handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure new wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides'. The weaver spoke of his 'satisfaction' once the tweed is finished. The tweed, once associated with the British aristocracy, goes to the spinning mill for a quality control check, where the slightest flaw is flagged up. Finally, it receives the precious 'Harris Tweed' stamp – a globe topped with a cross – certifying the fabric's provenance and authenticity, issued by the Harris Tweed Authority (HTA). The tweed then leaves the island for procurement by discerning companies abroad, including luxury brands such as Christian Dior, Chanel, and Gucci. Several trainer brands, such as Nike, New Balance, and Converse, have also used it for limited edition products. The traditional staples are jackets, caps, and bags, but the fabric can also be used for furniture. There are 140 weavers, according to the HTA, which launched a recruitment campaign in 2023 and offered workshops to learn the trade following a wave of retirements. This know-how, often passed down from generation to generation, is now being nurtured by a different profile of weaver. 'It's nice to see younger people coming in,' said Kelly MacDonald, director of operations at the HTA. 'When I joined the industry 22 years ago, there was a severe period of decline. I was wondering: 'Is there going to be an industry any more?'' But the industry is now enjoying a 'resurgence' and 'significant growth', with more than 580,000 metres of tweed produced in 2024. 'We are always looking at new markets,' she said, and tweed is now exported to South Korea, Japan, Germany, France and other countries. It is no longer dependent on the US market, as it once was, and should be largely shielded from the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Tweed has 'modernised', said Cameron MacArthur, who works at Carloway Mill, one of the three spinning mills in the west of the Isle of Lewis. He is only 29, but has already worked there for 12 years. The mill, with its large machines, looks as if it has not changed for decades. But MacArthur has seen it evolve to embrace a younger workforce and newer fabrics, meaning it is no longer just the ultra-classic Prince of Wales checks or dark colours that are on offer. 'Nowadays, we're allowed to make up our own colours … and we're just doing different things with it, modernising it, making it brighter,' he said, showing off rolls of turquoise blue and fuchsia pink. 'We're so busy … it never used to be like that,' he said, adding that he was 'proud' to be working with the local product. MacDonald said tweed was an antidote to environmentally unfriendly 'fast fashion'. 'How nice to own a product where you can actually look on a map to a tiny island and say, 'That's where my jacket was made.' That's so rare now, and I think people really engaged with that,' he said. 'Every stage of the production has to happen here, but from start to finish, it is a really long process. We are the epitome of slow fashion.'
South China Morning Post
31-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
What is Harris tweed? How the classic Scottish fabric is seeing a resurgence
'When you see tweed on the runway, you don't expect it to come from here,' joked 38-year-old former banker Alexander MacLeod as he set up his loom in a converted barn on the shores of a Scottish loch. MacLeod became a weaver two years ago, joining residents on the islands of Lewis and Harris, off Scotland's northwest coast, in helping rejuvenate the tweed industry after a significant period of decline. 'It's a good thing to keep the tradition going,' he said. Tweed is a symbol of Scottish heritage and has 'always been part of the culture' on the country's Outer Hebrides island chain, added Macleod, who hails from the island of Scalpay, which is connected to Harris by a bridge. It is now 'an attractive sector to be in', he added. Harris tweed weaver Alexander MacLeod works at his weaving loom in his atelier at his home, on the Isle of Scalpay. Photo: AFP MacLeod works at his weaving loom at his home. Photo: AFP
Malay Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
As fast fashion fades, Scotland's Harris tweed weaves a brighter, slower future with Dior and Chanel on board
ISLE OF SCALPAY, May 29 — 'When you see tweed on the runway, you don't expect it to come from here,' joked 38-year-old former banker Alexander MacLeod as he set up his loom in a converted barn on the shores of a Scottish loch. MacLeod became a weaver two years ago, joining residents on the islands of Lewis and Harris, off Scotland's northwest coast, in helping to rejuvenate the tweed industry after a significant period of decline. 'It's a good thing to keep the tradition going,' he told AFP. Tweed is a symbol of Scottish heritage and has 'always been part of the culture' on the Outer Hebrides, added Macleod, who hails from the island of Scalpay, which is connected to Harris by a bridge. It's now 'an attractive sector to be in', he explained. He left the Hebrides for seven years to work in banking but the pull of his roots proved too strong. During the day, McLeod now works for a small local cosmetics company. In the evenings, he puts on a podcast, usually about espionage, and patiently begins to weave. Only the steady hum of his machine disturbs the calm of the old stone barn. Harris tweed, traditionally made from 100 percent wool, is the only fabric protected by a 1993 Act of Parliament. It must be 'handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides'. Harris Tweed weaver Alexander MacLeod works behind his weaving loom in his atelier at his home, on the Isle of Scalpay. — AFP pic 'Resurgence' The weaver spoke of his 'satisfaction' once the tweed is finished. The fabric, once associated with the British aristocracy, then goes to the spinning mill for a quality control check, where the slightest flaw is flagged up. Finally, it receives the precious 'Harris Tweed' stamp — a globe topped with a cross — certifying the fabric's provenance and authenticity, issued by the Harris Tweed Authority (HTA). The tweed then leaves the island to be purchased by discerning companies abroad, including luxury brands such as Christian Dior, Chanel, and Gucci. Several sneaker brands such as Nike, New Balance, and Converse have also used it for limited edition products. The traditional staples are jackets, caps, and bags, but the fabric can also used for furniture. There are 140 weavers, according to the HTA, which launched a recruitment campaign in 2023 and offered workshops to learn the trade following a wave of retirements. This know-how, often passed down from generation to generation, is now being nurtured by a different profile of weaver. Blackface sheep and lambs, who's wool is used in Harris Tweed production, look on while grazing the Isle of Harris. — AFP pic 'It's nice to see younger people coming in,' said Kelly MacDonald, director of operations at the HTA. 'When I joined the industry 22 years ago, there was a severe period of decline. I was wondering: 'is there going to be an industry anymore?'' But the industry is now enjoying a 'resurgence' and 'significant growth', with more than 580,000 metres of tweed produced in 2024. 'We are always looking at new markets,' she explained, and tweed is now exported to Korea, Japan, Germany, France and other countries. It is no longer dependent on the US market, as it once was, and should be largely shielded from the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Staff Shaun Campbell moves rolls of Harris Tweed in the Isle of Harris Tweed shop in Tarbert, Isle of Harris. — AFP pic Slow fashion Tweed has 'modernised', said Cameron MacArthur, who works at Carloway Mill, one of the three spinning mills in the west of the Isle of Lewis. He is only 29, but has already worked there for 12 years. The mill, with its large machines, looks as if it hasn't changed for decades. But MacArthur has seen it evolve to embrace a younger workforce and newer fabrics, meaning it is no longer just the ultra-classic Prince of Wales check or dark colours that are on offer. 'Nowadays, we're allowed to make up our own colours... and we're just doing different things with it, modernising it, making it brighter,' he said, showing off rolls of turquoise blue and fuchsia pink. 'We're so busy... it never used to be like that,' he said, adding that he was 'proud' to be working with the local product. MacDonald also noted that tweed was an antidote to environmentally unfriendly 'fast fashion.' 'How nice to own a product where you can actually look on a map to a tiny island and say, that's where my jacket was made. That's so rare now, and I think people really engaged with that,' he said. 'Every stage of the production has to happen here, but from start to finish, it is a really long process. We are the epitome of slow fashion.' — AFP
