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Fair Isle business has success stitched

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One woman on Fair Isle, a tiny island between Shetland and Orkney, has big plans for the distinctive knitwear that originated there centuries ago and is now replicated across the globe.

Mati Ventrillon launched her bespoke knitwear business as a way to preserve the island’s rich textile heritage, after the Fair Isle Crafts Co-operative was dissolved in 2011.

Now, with a waiting list that runs into 2015, and a range of products stocked in the prestigious store Fortnum and Mason, Mati is opening an online shop, which will offer a wider range of products.

Business Gateway Shetland has been on hand to support Mati, who moved to the island from London in 2007, as she grows her thriving venture.

Mati said: “Business Gateway have some excellent resources, including their advisory service, which assisted me in areas such as marketing and gave me access to their vast network of contacts and various sources of funding.”

Mati now offers a bespoke service, where customers send in detailed measurements and choose their preferred colours and pattern, before working with her to create an individual, authentic Fair Isle knit.

“The business is going really well, but now I want to develop smaller and more accessible products, although I don’t currently have the production capability here on the island.”

Her future plans include rolling out production to Shetland where she gets all her yarn which will allow her to make more bespoke items which can take more than 20 hours to produce.

“In the future I would love to buy an industrial knitting machine so I can bring it all back to Fair Isle, and preserve the manufacturing on the island.
“Although the machines cost the same as a house!”

Neil Henderson, Business Gateway Shetland, said: “Mati has established a strong small business, recognising the key issues relating to marketing and developing it in the right way.

“We look forward to continuing to support the venture as it moves towards a very positive future.”

Mati said: “I have lots of ideas for new products and am developing a new range of homeware products for Fortnum and Mason over the next year or so.

“It’s important that I keep the industry alive, not just for me but for other people on the island and future generations.

“Although Fair Isle is copied all over the world and it’s open to interpretation, I will always remain true to the traditional designs of the 19th century, although with a modern twist.”

Contact: www.mativentrillon.co.uk or Business Gateway on www.bgateway.com or call 0845 609 6611.