Eloise Grey

The coats are made from tweeds woven by the Isle of Mull Weavers at Ardalanish Farm in Scotland. Owners, Aeneas and Minty Mackay aim to sustain and develop the traditional art of weaving of the Hebrides at the same time pioneering organic practices. Their organic tweeds are the first Soil Association Certified wool textiles in the UK and won Best Organic Textile prize at the Organic Industry Awards in 2007.

There is a choice of ethical Hebridean and organic, both in different weaves. New tweeds will become available over time as the wool is different every year, the production runs are small. There may be slight variations on each garment. In fact, over the years the tweeds naturally age with dignity, unlike manufactured textiles,which tend to deteriorate. These are fabrics which last a lifetime. In addition, these tweeds naturally resist water and dirt and hence are low impact to maintain.

These tweeds are a combination of undyed browns and black fleece of the Ardalanish Hebridean sheep with the natural whites and fawns of Shetland wool from Shetland Organic growers. The processing involves few chemicals and gives a fine lustre to the cloth.

The Ethical Hebridean collection is sourced from the black Hebridean sheep, though the tweed is a rich chocolatey brown. The sheep are small and particularly suited to the harsher lands of North West Scotland.

The wool is sourced from a combination of Organic farms, such as Ardalanish, and small-holders. Its ethical status is due to the fair price paid for the fleece and the way this textile supports small producers with native breed stock and keeps the skills alive.

For the main lining Eloise Grey uses Hand loom Indian cotton which is fair trade and organic. The colour is a natural dye. A cotton lining is not only a natural fibre but it is also very strong.

The sleeve lining needs to be made from a slippery fabric in order to allow arms to slip into the sleeve easily. The

sleeve lining on Eloise Grey's coats are from a high quality Italian acetate in a matching colour to the slate blue of the main lining. This is not organic but synthetic, though it is one of the more environmentally friendly synthetic fabrics as it is made from renewable sources: reforested trees. It is biodegradable.