Tweed in New Year's Honours List

MBE for Harris Tweed Weaver

It's traditional to groan incredulously at some of the more high-profile celebrity names on the Queen's New Year's Honours List. You might frown and wonder what on earth the award was for and quickly dismiss the whole idea of honours in general. But hold on, the New Year's Honours List is a long list and there is no such question mark over honouring the vast majority of the recipients for their service to the United Kingdom or British Overseas Territories.

One such worthy recipient is Donald John Mackay, a tweed weaver from the Isle of Harris. Donald is to receive an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to the Harris Tweed industry, following 21 years as a weaver. He and his wife trade under the name of Luskentyre Harris Tweed Co and are busy supplying orders to the traditional buyers, such as the tailors on Savile Row, and the not so traditional, like Clarks Originals. Clarks has already brought out that mod staple the desert boot in Harris Tweed with ASOS (below). Not sure if the cloth for that one in particular came from Luskentyre.

Congratulations from The Tweed Pig.

Esquire's Visit to the Isle of Harris

Esquire made a series of videos where  Patrick Grant of Norton and Sons visited British cloth manufacturers. He included Donald on his visit to the Isle of Harris. Patrick considers him to be one of the finest Harris Tweed weavers.