COCO IN THE HIGHLANDS Made in Scotland: The iconic tweed jacket inspired by Highland visits
Although Coco Chanel is the mother of quintessential French chic, the origins of one of the designer’s most iconic outfits can, perhaps surprisingly, be traced back to Scotland.
In 1924, while building her reputation as one of Paris’ most soughtafter dressmakers, Chanel met Hugh Grosvenor, the second Duke of Westminster, and began a love affair that would ultimately lead to the design for the tweed Chanel suit.
During their five-year-courtship, Chanel and the Duke spent summers at his estate in Sutherland, before he later purchased Rosehall House, near Inverness, for her to decorate. It was during this time that Chanel became enamoured with the fabrics and design of men’s hunting clothes.
“Chanel loved coming to Scotland. She found it incredibly relaxing, and even threw herself into things like salmon fishing,” explained author Caroline Young.
“The location of Rosehall is incredible. It’s a really beautiful spot, very isolated and hard to get to, so she would have been able to switch off and just enjoy her surroundings.
“There are photos of her wearing Westminster’s tweed jackets, big boots and trousers, and she took that masculine look and turned it into feminine fashion. It became the ‘Chanel look’ from about 1926.”
The Chanel fashion house has confirmed Coco was “heavily influenced by the dressing habits of the English aristocracy and above all by the wardrobe of the Duke of Westminster”, and the now iconic collarless tweed jacket, which was launched in the 1950s, was born from those early trips to Scotland.
Caroline added: “She sourced tweed from a Borders company called William Linton. They custom-made colourful tweeds for her, which she used to make her cardigan jackets, which were very popular at the time.
“She had a big influence on the tweed industry, elevating it to haute couture status.
“In Paris, ladies wore their tweed jackets with pearls. It’s really nice to see that Scottish heritage is still appreciated.”