Really Slow Fashion

McNair merino shirt in Black with Colne Valley trim

*** Update: 22nd November, 2019 ***

The cloth finally landed this week and the shirts are now in production.

In collaboration with the Colne Valley Museum in Huddersfield, we have hand-woven a beautiful new lining material for the collar, cuff, baffle and pockets. This is slow fashion, just 20 metres produced over 3 months. Woven by some of our visiting customers, the public and volunteers at the museum – this was an epic community venture.

The cloth is stunning, even more beautiful than anticipated. We are using the fabric as a lining for the collar, stand, cuff, baffle and pockets. The result is subtle and stylish.

Over the last few months quite a few of you placed pre-orders at shows and here at the mill and the fabric is stock is already looking low despite us officially launching today. We estimate that we have enough fabric left to make another 25 shirts.

All shirts will be made to order and are scheduled for production in December and will be available for delivery in time for Christmas. As off-the-peg sizes, you can buy men’s Mountain Shirts in midweight or heavyweight merino or women’s Fell Shirt again in either weight. All other styles are available as made to measure options.

 

 

McNair merino shirt in Heather with special edition Colne Valley trim

 

McNair Women's merino Fell Shirt in Heather with special edition Colne Valley trim

 

McNair men's merino shirt - special edition in black with Colne Valley trim

 


*** Original post: August 23rd,  2019 ***

We can’t tell you how excited we are to be collaborating with the Colne Valley Museum in Huddersfield to produce a new cloth. This fantastic museum is housed in four cottages built in the 1850s by a family of independent cloth manufacturers. These old weaving cottages in Golcar show how our ancestors once lived and made a living producing cloth pre-industrialisation.

All of the equipment in the museum is hand operated yet still works beautifully and can produce cloth as exquisite as any modern factory.

The museum offers you the chance to try weaving for yourself and if you head down there over the next couple of months you’ll get to weave this new McNair fabric. This is slow, cooperative manufacturing. We are aiming to have 20 yards of narrow width cloth which will be enough to produce a small collection of shirts and jackets in Heather and Black to be launched late autumn.

Colne Valley Museum is a charity run entirely by a very enthusiastic team of incredibly skilled volunteers who are eager to pass on their knowledge. We are really grateful to all of the volunteers and in particular would like to thank the design legend Raymond Ellis.

In addition to the Textile Collection you can also find clog-making, cookery and interesting costume, political and photographic collections. And of course there’s a tea room.

Open this Bank Holiday and Saturdays, Sundays.

From April to October 2 – 5pm
From November to March 1 – 4pm

Visit the Colne Valley Museum website.

 

Raymond Ellis visiting McNair Shirts

 

The Colne Valley Museum

 

Weavers at the Colne Valley Museum

 

Weaving at the Colne Valley Museum

 

Fabric being woven at the Colne Valley Museum

 

Looms at the Colne Valley Museum

 

Spindles at the Colne Valley Museum

 

Traditional weaving at the Colne Valley Museum