Textile designers can seem like artists or scientists. The materials and processes they exploit to create colour, pattern and shape can make their work seem like alchemy but their ability to turn recycled materials into aesthetically pleasing fabrics requires artistry and training.
Read on to find out what Harris Tweed, textiles that dissolve, and fabric for your sofa, tell us about the UK textile industry and its designers.
Harris Tweed
“Harris Tweed means a tweed which has been hand woven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the islands of Harris, Lewis, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra and their several purtenances (The Outer Hebrides) and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.” Harris Tweed Act 1993
Cloth has been made by hand in the West of Scotland, including the Outer Hebrides, since before records began. Despite the industrial revolution, the Outer islands have retained their traditional hand-weaving skills and continued to make cloth in the traditional ways.
Harris Tweed is now protected by the Harris Tweed Authority, which certifies cloth produced in the proper manner with the Harris Tweed Trade Mark, the orb and Maltese Cross with the word Harris Tweed written underneath.
There are three Tweed mills in the Outer Hebrides producing authentic tweed: Harris Tweed Hebrides, Harris Tweed Scotland and Harris Tweed Textiles.
Designers such as Calvin Klein and the late Alexander McQueen have recently used the cloth in their designs and the recent Dr Who Matt Smith can be seen sporting a Harris Tweed jacket.
Original manufacturing process:
- wool dyed using vegetable dyes
- wool oiled and teased to open up the fibres
- wool was carded to draw the fibres out for spinning
- wool was spun on a spinning wheel
- spun wool woven using a handloom
- tweed is finished by washing and given a raised compacted finish
Harris Tweed Authority
The above information was provided by the Harris Tweed Authority and Acair Books, who published the book The history of Harris Tweed.
Print
No shop is more connected with printed textiles than Liberty department store in London.
Arthur Liberty first opened the store in Regent Street in 1875 selling coloured silks from the East. Before long Liberty had persuaded English textile manufacturers to weave fabrics similar to those acquired from the East. He worked with Staffordshire-based printing firm Thomas Wardle to develop colourfast dyes in what were to become known as Liberty colours.
In 1904 Liberty bought the small print firm Littlers at Merton, which had hand printed Liberty fabrics since 1904. At first the designs were hand printed using blocks, which took up to two weeks to make, but by the 1950s screen printing was used for the more popular designs. Liberty sold Littlers in the early 1970s and now its prints are manufactured in the UK and the Far East using either flat bed or rotation methods.
New print designs, created by either the in house team or commissioned designers, are introduced in the Spring and Autumn of each year alongside the more traditional designs, such as the Peacock Feather, which dates back to the 1880s.
New print disciples
A new designer that has grown associated with his bold prints is Erdem. Erdem Moralioglu established his eponymous ready to wear line in 2005 to rave reviews. His use of colourful digital prints on silk have caught the eye of celebrities and fashionistas alike.
Erdem received his master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in 2003, before moving on to workfor Diane von Furstenberg in New York. Among his many plaudits he received the Swarovski British Fashion Council Fashion Enterprise Award in 2007. His collections are now sold in 50 stores worldwide and are worn by celebrities such as Thandie Newton, Chloe Sevigny and Sienna Miller.
Workwear fabrics
The UK is not known for its good weather. As a result, practical work wear is a must for those who are braving the elements.
John Barbour founded J. Barbour & Sons in South Shields in 1894. At the time, South Shields was a burgeoning port and Barbour supplied work wear, including Barbour’s own Beacon brand oilskin coats, to the ship owners, ship builders and local sea men.
Oilskin material can be dated back to the 15th century where sailors used oil and grease to waterproof their sailcloth. These were sometimes used as capes to keep the sailors dry. At first linseed oil from flax seed was used to coat flax sailcloth, but over time the more lightweight cotton became the preferred material.
Barbour jackets became synonymous with motorcycle racing in the post-war years. The International suits, with their distinctive slanted map pocket, were worn by most of the British international teams from 1936 to 1977. In addition, Steve McQueen, as a member of the US motorcycle team wore a Barbour International in the 1964 International Six Day Trials in East Germany.
Types of waxed cotton used by Barbour today:
Sylkoil
- oldest type of wax
- unshorn: cotton comes straight from the loom and dyed and waxed
- turns peachy-coloured
- available in weights: 4oz, 6oz and 8oz
Milledwax
- brushed wax: passed slowly over emery rollers
- suede-like finish
- available in weights: 8oz
Thornproof
- deep colour and even toned wax
- calendered between rollers then dyed
- smooth cotton finish and resistant to snags
- available in weights: 6oz
Antique wax
- heavily calendered so has a smooth finish
- glossy finish
- available in weights: 4oz
Weathered Wax
- also known as “cracked wax”
- aged finish
- available in weights: 8oz
Nanotechnology
No matter how hard you dab at a stain it only ever seems to make it worse. So wouldn’t it be better to create a fabric that repels the stain in the first place? This is what California-based NanoTex has done. As the company’s name suggests it uses nanotechnology to transform the molecular structure of fibres so they take on different characteristics.
NanoTex fabrics have a range of properties:
- Resist Spills –causes spills to bead up and roll off and provides lasting performances
- Speed Dry – hydrophobic nanoscale fibres are permanently attached to fibres and keep water from saturating fabric
- All Conditions - repels rain, sleet and snow
- Repels Water – causes water to bead up and roll off
- Dry Inside –cotton fabric that stays dry on the inside
- Neutralizer – eliminates body odour
- Releases Stains – dislodges tough stains in the wash
- Resists Static – eliminates static cling and shock
- Coolest Comfort – wicks moisture away from the body
NanoTex technology has been used by designer brands including Hugo Boss and Perry Ellis as well as high street stores like JCPenney in the States. The company licenses the technology to 80 mills worldwide spanning the US, Asia and Europe.
The ability to transform the qualities of a fabric could revolutionise the way we use textiles in fashion as well in residential and commercial interiors. NanoTex recognises this and plans to open an R&D centre in China.
President and chief executive of NanoTex Jim Curley said: “Moving our R&D operations to Hong Kong will strengthen our efforts to recruit the best and brightest talent available, thus strengthening our ability to bring even more innovation to our brand and retail partners on a regular basis.”