To Russia with love from Harris Tweed
Harris Tweed Hebrides is celebrating the revival of Harris Tweed with the first order to be produced since the company reopened the mill at Shawbost, being sent to Russia this week. All with the help of top Russian model Margarita Dobroskokina.
The order will be heading to Moscow-based Glosab, a manufacturing and retailing giant. Glosab, who have annual sales of over $100m, will be using Scotland's famous fabric for both mens and womenswear sold throughout the company’s 37 retail stores.
Harris Tweed Hebrides took over the recently defunct mill in December 2007, and since then have undertaken a major refurbishment programme to make it operational and self-contained, including installing its own finishing department.
Brian Wilson, chairman of Harris Tweed Hebrides, former trade and energy minister, and Special Representative to the Prime Minister, believes that this order is an important milestone for the company, and for the sustained future of the Harris Tweed Industry.
"It is great to see the mill back in production and Harris Tweed orders coming in from all around the world," he says. "There is relief among Harris Tweed's long established customers that the fabric is more widely available once again, in addition to new interest from designers and manufacturers who are getting to know this unique product for the first time.
Courtesy: http://www.dcthomson.co.uk
"Margarita Dobroskokina sums up the new spirit of Harris Tweed - beautiful, vibrant and utterly international, and we are delighted that she could come to the islands to give our first order a fitting send-off.”
Sales director Rae Mackenzie - who has over 30 years in the industry - said that the Glosab order was typical of his experience since joining Harris Tweed Hebrides.
He said: "I knew them from trade fairs about ten years ago when they started buying Harris Tweed, and they were disappointed when, last year, they were told that it would no longer be available. After a recent meeting with one of our agents in Munich, they were absolutely delighted to find out about Harris Tweed Hebrides.
"This was one of our first orders to come in and the first to go out. I have high hopes that Russia can become a very important market for us. It is a discerning market and there is a demand for high quality, hand-crafted products - exactly the category that Harris Tweed comes into.”