Harris Tweed isn’t just fabric—it’s folklore spun into cloth, a living testament to the windswept isles and the hands that have woven its legend for generations. Protected by its own Act of Parliament (because not all superheroes wear capes—some wear impeccably tailored tweed), this textile has graced everything from royal wardrobes to Hollywood sets, all while staying true to its roots in the Outer Hebrides.
It’s a rare breed: luxurious yet rugged, timeless yet ever-adaptable, a quiet rebellion against the fleeting trends of fast fashion.
To unravel the magic behind the weave, we sat down with Kelly Macdonald, Operations Manager of the Harris Tweed Authority. From the rhythmic clatter of looms in island homes to the meticulous craftsmanship that ensures every inch meets its storied standard, she gave us an insider’s glimpse into how Harris Tweed continues to defy time, trend cycles, and expectations—one warp and weft at a time.
1. Harris Tweed is the only fabric with its own Act of Parliament—talk about VIP status! What does it take to uphold such a legacy in a fast-fashion world?
Kelly Macdonald: Harris Tweed® is a fabric like no other, and its legal protection under the Harris Tweed Act of 1993 ensures that only fabric handwoven at the homes of islanders in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland from 100% pure new wool can bear the iconic Orb trademark.
Upholding this legacy means maintaining strict quality standards, supporting our community of skilled weavers, and educating consumers on the value of authentic, sustainable craftsmanship. I’ve seen first-hand how challenging it is to uphold this legacy during my time with the Harris Tweed Authority – the statutory body created to protect the brand. The Harris Tweed® certification mark isn’t just a label—it’s a legal guarantee. It doesn’t just tell you what Harris Tweed® is, it stipulates how it must be made, and our mark was granted in 1910. The Authority maintains a worldwide portfolio of trademark and copyright protections to help protect this legacy and that’s what makes Harris Tweed® special. It’s not just a fabric—it’s a living, breathing part of our island heritage.
2. Harris Tweed has gone from croft to catwalk, from keeping Scottish fishermen warm to gracing Hollywood’s red carpets. What’s the secret to staying both timeless and on-trend?
Kelly Macdonald: The secret is its versatility and authenticity. Harris Tweed® is deeply rooted in tradition, but its rich textures and colours make it endlessly adaptable. Its use by such a variety of brands, in both innovative and traditional ways, ensures Harris Tweed® remains relevant while staying true to its heritage.
That’s why you see it everywhere, from Savile Row to sneakers, from Hollywood to home furnishings. There’s a Harris Tweed® for every style and taste — and that’s what keeps it both classic and current, it has a timeless quality that works just as well in a traditional tailored jacket as it does in a cutting-edge runway piece.
Designers know that whatever they need—be it a deep, earthy heather or a vibrant jewel tone—there will be a Harris Tweed® to match their vision. And nature’s colours never go out of fashion.
3. The old stereotype of tweed being stiff and scratchy is long gone. Today’s Harris Tweed is soft, breathable, and even runway-ready. How did this transformation happen? Magic? Millwork? A bit of both?
Kelly Macdonald: A lot of hard work!
It has always been woven from 100% pure new wool which naturally softens with time, but when Harris Tweed® first became a brand, the yarns were much thicker, spun by hand, and woven into a denser, heavier fabric. Modern carding and spinning techniques allow for much lighter, finer yarns, which makes for a much softer and more wearable fabric.
The finishing processes have also been refined over the years, meaning the “handle” of the fabric today is almost unrecognizable from what it was a century ago. The magic lies in the craftsmanship: each length of tweed is a careful balance of comfort, structure, and drape, making it perfect for a huge variety of uses. That’s why Harris Tweed® has expanded far beyond traditional tailoring to now be found in shoes, accessories, technical wear and furnishings. It’s still the same handwoven cloth, but the way it’s created makes it incredibly adaptable.
4. What’s the alchemy behind dyeing the wool before spinning, and how does it create that unmistakable richness?
Kelly Macdonald: Unlike most fabrics, Harris Tweed® wool is dyed before it is spun into yarn—a process known as fibre dyeing. This allows our designers to blend multiple shades together to create complex yarn colours that mimic the landscape of the Outer Hebrides.
Starting with a palette of dyed wool, the possibilities for yarn blends are endless. You only have to look out the window here to see where the inspiration comes from. The sky and land change by the hour, not just by the season. The sea can appear slate grey in the morning and be aquamarine by the afternoon.
My father was a Harris Tweed® designer, and he once said to me whilst holding two shades of blue yarn, “Between that blue and this blue, there will be a dozen other blues—I just have to find the recipe for them.” This traditional technique is what gives Harris Tweed® its unique richness and depth of colour.
5. They say a musician knows their instrument like the back of their hand. Is it the same for a Harris Tweed weaver—does every loom have its own quirks and personality? Any divas among them?
Kelly Macdonald: Absolutely.
Every Harris Tweed® weaver works at their home using a pedal powered loom, and just like a musician’s instrument, each loom has its own character and weavers know their machines inside and out. Some looms are decades old, with their own rhythm and quirks—they require patience, skill, and a deep understanding to operate smoothly. Weavers often develop a special bond with their looms, knowing their strengths, tendencies, and when they need a little extra attention to perform at their best.
One thing you never ask a weaver is, “How’s the loom going?”—that’s just asking for trouble! The moment you say everything’s running smoothly, something will go wrong. But once you’ve worked with a loom long enough, you know exactly how to handle it—and when to walk away before it tests your patience too much. Weavers aren’t just following intricate patterns—they have to be skilled mechanics, too.
Working from home, in rural areas, weavers have to be confident in fixing loom problems. There’s a real community of weavers, and there’s always someone to call for advice, but at the end of the day, you have to know your own loom and how to maintain it.
6. The weavers may be the face of Harris Tweed, but the mills are the unsung heroes. Can you lift the curtain on some of the lesser-known skills that go into crafting the perfect fabric?
Kelly Macdonald: Whilst weavers bring the fabric to life, the mills handle essential processes like carding, spinning, and finishing. The collaboration between weavers and millworkers is what makes Harris Tweed® exceptional. The mills do an incredible amount of work before the yarn even reaches a loom. Designing is a huge part of the process, blending countless yarn shades to create a tweed that looks effortless but is actually the result of painstaking testing and tweaking.
I saw just how much thought and effort my father put into getting the colours and patterns just right. Visitors to our island mills are often surprised by just how many stages go into making the fabric, from dying, blending, and carding the wool, to spinning, warping, and finishing.
Every step requires precision, and it’s real craftsmanship from start to finish. It takes an incredible amount of skill to transform raw wool into a finished bolt of Harris Tweed® and every stage of the process is a result of decades of experience.
7. Harris Tweed has conquered Everest, strutted through Paris, and charmed its way into James Bond’s wardrobe. What’s the most unexpected or amusing place you’ve seen it show up?
Kelly Macdonald: Ha! Yes, I can completely understand why early Everest explorers wore Harris Tweed®, I visited Everest base camp and have never been so cold in my life! But I wear Harris Tweed® indoors every day, which just goes to show how versatile it. Harris Tweed® has had some incredible moments, from Jude Law’s Sherlock Holmes to an outfit designed for Miss Piggy by Vivienne Westwood.
But I think one of the most unexpected uses I’ve seen of the cloth is right here in the Outer Hebrides. In the Harris Distillery in Tarbert, visitor are offered a visual guide to whisky flavours via a giant Harris Tweed® abacus, with each brightly coloured counter denoting a separate flavour element of the malt. I also really enjoyed visiting a hotel’s in-house cinema, in which every seat had been covered in a different Harris Tweed® pattern – it seemed a shame to dim the lights on that!
8. In a world obsessed with fast fashion, Harris Tweed stands defiantly in the slow lane—sustainable, handwoven, built to last. Do you think the world is finally catching up to what Harris Tweed has known all along?
Kelly Macdonald: Definitely.
Consumers are growing to appreciate the value of durability, ethical production, and sustainability—principles that Harris Tweed® has embodied for over a century. Rather than speed and disposability, Harris Tweed® is designed to last for generations. As people move toward more thoughtful consumption, the Harris Tweed® message of quality over quantity is resonating more than ever. Who wouldn’t want a garment made from a fabric of which every stage of production is carefully crafted by skilled hands?
A fabric you can pinpoint on a map exactly where it was woven? Harris Tweed® could not be further from fast fashion, it’s a culture, a people, and a place, woven into something that will last a lifetime. Consumers are looking for sustainability and authenticity more than ever, and that’s what Harris Tweed® has always been about, the rest of the world is just catching up to what we’ve always known.
9. The Orb symbol has been around for over a century, but Harris Tweed isn’t stuck in the past. What’s next for this legendary cloth? Any surprising collaborations or innovations on the horizon?
Kelly Macdonald: Harris Tweed® is constantly evolving, honouring its heritage and culture whilst embracing innovations. There’s a real appreciation for craftsmanship now, and Harris Tweed® fits perfectly into that movement. We work closely with designers who push the boundaries of what Harris Tweed® can be used for, and with modern yarn production techniques and new finishing methods, the fabric is more versatile than ever. New colours, new designs, new collaborations, and new ways of keeping this protected fabric vibrant and relevant. Harris Tweed® will remain timeless, but its future is just as exciting as its past, and at the heart of it all are the people who make it.
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Intro and questions: AW
Answers: Kelly Macdonald.
Photos courtesy of the Harris Tweed Authority.