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Hawick: home is where the knitwear is
Combining tech and heritage is something we at Archibald understand all too well. Tried, tested and perfected methods of craftsmanship augmented through digital innovation is our bread and butter.
Having built a close relationship with our woven clothing mill, the team began to investigate the broader landscape of making in Scotland. That was when we came across a rather special town.The very first knitting machine was brought to Hawick in 1771, drawn to the region because of on an even older local tradition of carpet manufacture and trade. That first machine forever changed the town, giving it an international name for excellence in knitwear that it holds to this day.
Where did all the heritage brands go?
200 years on, the renown of the town’s craftspeople has stuck around even as big brands turned their backs and closed up shop. Hawick is experiencing what we’ve seen in communities all over the world with a tradition of craftsmanship. Manufacturing has moved out, scaled up, dropped the quality, and taken advantage of poor labour laws in developing nations. With local stalwarts closing their mills, Hawick experienced a sharp economic decline. Brands that were bought out by international investors continued to profit from the reputation of the Scottish knitwear tradition even though they had long since moved production. Cheap labour, fast fashion, and a disregard for the environmental and human impact of mass production were the new order of the day.
Sir Walter Scott, famed Scottish poet and playwright, wrote the following around the exact time Hawick was experiencing its first manufacturing boom: ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.’ In its intended context the quote refers to a tragic love story, but we think it applies to the deceptions perpetuated by heritage brands. ‘Heritage’ labels have misled consumers into believing they represent a tradition of craftsmanship they’ve long since abandoned. We resolved to challenge them by providing a superior product, sold transparently and in partnership with makers in Hawick.
Shear perfection
Using centuries old techniques combined with specialised tech, the craftspeople at Hawick are able to shear the Lambswool used in our knitwear at the exact right moment to ensure it is optimal for production. Lambswool is the special, highly coveted wool that is produced from the first shearing of a lamb at about six or seven months. Naturally breathable, lambswool keeps the wearer snug in winter and cool in warmer months. Fine, Grade A cashmere is used too, though only if it adheres to strict quality standards at the mill. They say there’s something in the water of the river near the mill, used to scour the fabric and restore it to its naturally soft state, that gives the lambswool and cashmere knitted in Hawick an extra supple touch.
We like to think that each item made in Hawick for Archibald and purchased by our community sends a strong message to brands still profiting from place-based reputations for excellence.
