A unique collaboration between Harris Tweed Hebrides and Pakistan’s leading fashion designer has created a stunning couture collection.
The main maker of the Clo Mhor, meaning big cloth in Gaelic, was showcased at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.
Hassan Sheheryar Yasin – known as the designer HSY – was invited by the UK Association of Medical Aid to Pakistan to design a collection using the tweed as the centre-piece for their annual fundraising dinner which was held outside London for the first time.
He created a collection which incorporates Harris Tweed into a range of contemporary women’s fashion with a Pakistani identity.
Yasin, who travelled from Lahore for the event, said: “It has been a privilege to work with such a wonderful natural fabric which is known the whole world over.
“I would like to thank Medical Aid to Pakistan and Harris Tweed Hebrides for inviting HSY to be part of this incredible event.”
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More than 400 guests at Kelvingrove Gallery raised funds for the UK Association of Medical Aid to Pakistan and also for The Linda Norgrove Foundation, an Isle of Lewis-based charity which supports women’s and children’s projects in Afghanistan.
The foundation was set up in memory of aid worker, Linda Norgrove who was devoted to ensuring that the people of Afghanistan would achieve prosperity and stability as their country was rebuilt. Linda was kidnapped and subsequently died during a failed rescue attempt in Afghanistan in October 2010.
Farah Khushi, Glasgow-based trustee of UKMAP, said: “We are delighted and very proud to have brought our annual fundraising event to Scotland for the first time and are indebted to Harris Tweed Hebrides and HSY for their invaluable contribution to the evening’s fundraising efforts, beautifully bringing together two cultures in one collection.”
Harris Tweed Hebrides chairman and former UK trade minister Brian Wilson said: “There are some lovely synergies in this project. Lewis has a highly respected Pakistani community of long-standing who are very familiar with Harris Tweed. I am sure they will take particular satisfaction from this superb blending of two cultures.”
Harris Tweed has a number of celebrity followers of fashion, including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and former Dr Who Matt Smith.
Only Harris Tweed cloth, hand woven only by the islanders of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra in their own homes, using pure virgin wool that has been dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides can be stamped with the coveted Orb mark – making it the world’s only commercially produced hand woven tweed.