All Mix Blog

A recent short article in The Economist highlights the all too familiar issues surrounding the production of Fair Isle garments. Here are a couple of choice quotes: 'Only 70 people live on Fair Isle itself and only four of them knit. Each sweater takes about 100 hours; the island's annual production is about 30 sweaters, 200 hats and 30 scarves. These are sold only in the island shop, which is cleared out when the summer's first cruise ship calls, says Mati Ventrillon, a French-Venezuelan who runs the craft co-operative.' (The Economist) 'My ladies are in their 70s and 80s. They learned it from their grandmothers, but no one is learning from them.' (Ms. Teresa Fritschi, an American who runs a Scottish luxury-goods website and believes the island's knitters could earn much more if Fair Isle products enjoyed the same legal protection against imitation as Harris Tweed .) Image from Reel Knitting

Earlier this week Manufacture & Industry had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Jim Pickles, director of D.S DUNDEE at the inaugural Stitch menswear trade show at Old Billingsgate Market. Pickles founded the traditional heritage label in the mid 90s in Scotland with Ollie Pilcher , a fashion photographer. After doing their own thing for a few years they relaunched the label in late 2007 and are now based in Dalston, London. We were immediately drawn to the brand's 'Made in the UK' labels so asked them a few questions: M&I: Where are you selling your wares? JP: We've our own store on Spitalfields market, opposite the Ten Bells pub. It's been a pop-up situation but we're hoping to make it more permanent. We've been there since mid-December and it's gone brilliantly, we've virtually sold out. M&I: Why Spitalfields for the store? JP: A, it's a mile down the road from the studio and B, it's on the edge of the city so we get a good mix of th...