Iconic British brand Harris Tweed has announced a new collaboration with leading furniture retailer Barker and Stonehouse.
The collection of sofas and chairs, which has just launched in stores, came about after Teesside-based Barker and Stonehouse recognised a gap in the market for wool based upholstery. As a result the company turned to long-time Northern supplier Tetrad to produce a range of furniture with the country’s most renowned producer of woollen fashion, Harris Tweed.
Established in 1846, Harris Tweed is world famous for customers including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Matt Smith’s Dr Who.
The new partnership reflects a growing trend of British brands looking to work together to support local industry rather than sourcing products from overseas.
All the wool used in the collection is sourced in the UK and milled and hand-woven in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of mainland Scotland.
Barker and Stonehouse MD James Barker, says: “For the last 12 months we’ve noticed a growing demand for woollen products from our customers. Our partnerships with Tetrad and Harris Tweed not only allow us to work with great heritage brands, but have also helped create jobs in the North which we are proud to be a part of.”
The furniture is manufactured in Lancashire by Tetrad and the demand for products has led to a 40% increase in production and the employment of 10 extra staff.
Barker and Stonehouse's creative stylist Claire Hornby, says: “Wool is extremely popular in fashion this season and this is now evident in interiors. It’s also one of the most practical and versatile materials available and is a long lasting fabric that is really suited to our climate.”
Harris Tweed cloth is protected by the Harris Tweed Act of Parliament 1993, which strictly outlines the conditions in which the cloth can genuinely be made.
Authentic Harris Tweed is issued with the Harris Tweed Orb Mark, the United Kingdom's oldest registered trademark, after inspection by the Harris Tweed Authority, the industry's governing body.
