Eloise Grey

The tweeds are woven by the Isle of Mull Weavers at Ardalanish Organic Farm in Scotland. Owners, Aeneas and Minty Mackay aim to sustain and develop the traditional art of weaving of the Hebrides and at the same time pioneer organic practices. Their organic tweeds were the first Soil Association Certified wool textiles in the UK and won best Organic Textile Product 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. These are fabrics which last a lifetime. The tweeds naturally resist water and dirt so they are very low-impact to maintain. Over the years the tweeds naturally age with dignity.

These tweeds are a combination of undyed browns and black fleece of the Ardalanish Hebridean sheep with naturals whites and fawns from Shetland, Manx and Moorit sheep, all from organic growers. The processing and finishing involves fewer chemicals and this gives a fine lustre to the cloth.

This collection is sourced from the black Hebridean sheep, which comes out a rich chocolate brown with some oyster grey as well. The Hebriean sheep is indigenous to the Highlands and hence is more in harmony with the land; it thrives without depleting the soil and the balance of the eco-system is maintained. The wool is sourced from a combination of organic farms and small-holders who may not yet be certified. Its ethical status is due to the fair price paid for the fleece, and so this has generated a market where it had died out due to low price for wool.

This collection includes Belgian linen, Romanian hemp, West of England plaincloth wool and Indian cotton prints. The rough artisan hemp canvas is undyed, woven in Romania, and creates a rustic elegance. Hemp is eminently sustainable because it requires very little nutrients or water to thrive. The Indian cotton floral is woven by hand and block-printed by hand using natural dyes in a fair trade environment. The very fine linens used for the blouses, skirts and trousers (breeches) are sourced from a long established Belgian producer who source the flax locally and lay it in the dew of the fields to soften it (instead of using harsh chemicals). These linens are undyed natural colours; off-white and beige (flax). The plaincloth wool is woven in the West of England from British-sourced Shetland wool. This comes in a dark charcoal.

The Winker shoes are available in a blue herringbone & cream tweed. The blue is dyed in woad, an natural English-grown dye which was the only blue dye in Europe until the 16th century when indigo arrived from the east. This tweed is also Soil Association certified organic.

Eloise Grey uses blue cotton lining for the jackets. The cotton is fair trade and organic and dyed with natural dye. A cotton lining is not only a natural fibre but it is also very strong. Where cotton is used, the sleeve lining needs to be made from a Italian bemberg in order to allow arms to slip into the sleeve easily.

The coats use a slippery fabric for the body and the sleeve lining and this is a heavy satin viscose in aubergine. This gives a luxurious feel, long-lasting quaility and makes the garment hang nicely. There is also a hemp/silk lining in black, copper and silver, though this is slowly being discontinued.