Knitwear stars weave some magic at London show
FOR more than 200 years it has been pioneering textile design in Scotland, surviving ups and downs that have sometimes left its prospects threadbare.
But now the venerable knitwear firm Johnston’s of Elgin is making firm strides as it seeks to ascend to the world of high fashion, returning to the catwalk at London Fashion Week for the third year running.
The 222-year-old company showcased its Autumn/winter collection at the historical Grade II listed surroundings of the Serpentine Gallery, modelling 21 womenswear pieces and nine menswear items for members of the fashion media from around the world.
Becoming a fixture on the event’s calendar has been a long-term goal for the company as it looks to put its traditionally crafted cashmere, Tweed and fine wool clothes firmly on the map.
This year’s triumphant return to the stage marks the latest boost for the firm, which plunged into the red in 2012 with a loss of more than £1 million.
Since then, business has been booming and last year the company, which employs around 800 people, reported a pre-tax profits of £6.5m.
Creative director Alan Scott said: “This collection really completes the overall architecture of The Johnstons of Elgin brand, which has been in the planning process for a number of years.
“For past seasons, we have worked to build up the brand infrastructure, and by investing in new technology it has allowed us to create pieces that both reflect our heritage and look forward to the future in terms of technical fabric and garment manufacturing.
“This has allowed us to become more relevant, real and accessible.”
Founded by Alexander Johnston in1797, Johnston of Elgin remains a family-owned firm with mills in its home town on the banks of the River Lossie, and at Hawick in the Borders.
It prides itself on being the only manufacturer in Scotland with the capability to take natural fibres from their raw state and spin them into wools and thread for use in its finished products.
It is currently helmed by company chairman Jenny Urquhart, the greatgranddaughter of former Johnstons of Elgin owner Eddie Harrison and the fourth generation of the current owning family. Eddie Harrison joined in 1904 as a junior partner to the third generation of the Johnston family.
The company supplied the first blankets to Elgin’s Dr Gray’s Hospital when it opened in 1819 and continues to invest in the community where it was founded. Today, it specialises in knitwear ranging from scarves, jackets and coats to jumpers, cardigans, blankets and fabrics for home interiors.
It sells clothing to luxury brands that feature their own labels on the Scottish company’s products, and to department
It is a pivotal collection for us, it has continued our new positioning
stores, boutiques and consumers under its own name, with outlets in both the UK and America.
But while it is firmly connected to its Scottish roots, this year’s collection drew inspiration from much further afield, with Mr Scott weaving themes from around the globe, including South American skylines and ice-capped Mongolian mountains.
He also looked at re-imagining longestablished weaving techniques using a colour palette featuring exotic shades such as china blue, ice-water aqua, amber, harissa, lotus pink and rich gold.
Models sported an array of garments that were a world away from the dowdy image often associated with knitwear. Audiences were treated to glimpses of “Hero pieces” in the new collection including a reversible Mongolian kimono jacket, presented alongside the red Tweed check trench coat, Mongolian knitwearinspired kilim jacquard cardigan, and a check reversible car coat in Tweed check and olive ventile.
Mr Scott said: “For Autumn/winter 20, the collection is all about reflecting on our history and global-sourcing, using this as a starting point to look to the future.
“We have also tried to keep hand crafted skills alive and interweave them alongside new technology, to create pieces that are completely innovative.
“A pivotal collection for us, it has continued our new positioning as an all year-round brand offering a trans-seasonal approach to cashmere that is innovative, confident and unique”.