womenswear -

For the love of Harris Tweed

Authenticity is the new luxury. Machines that were once just sci-fi fantasies are now a reality and if Captain Kirk wannabes ask their replicators to make a tweed I’m sure the outcome will look pretty good. But is it the real thing? Tweed clad philosophers could theorise the night away spinning arguments with quotes from Plato to Bertrand Russell but one point they would all have to agree on is that the synthesiser could not make Harris Tweed.

Rules for the weaving of genuine Harris Tweed cloth from the archipelago Islands off the West Coast of Scotland are incredibly strict and were recorded as acts of Parliament over a century ago. Genuine Harris Tweeds are produced by just a few mills and many are hand woven by crofters living a self sustaining life on the island ensuring a very low carbon footprint for the fabric. The Harris Tweed Authority hand checks all production and authenticates it with the famous orb logo.

As climates ameliorate the islander have adapted and produce what they term “feather weight” qualities. These weigh in at around 14 oz, which may say as much about the local bird population as the climate of Scotland. However, if you are going to invest in a Harris Tweed jacket or suit it’s reassuring to know that the hardy fabric will wear for many years.

A while ago we worked with the Carloway Mill to weave some original designs for us. These were highly prized by tweed aficionados around the world and especially in Japan where the love of originality is endemic in the highly cultured population. Sadly, the Carloway Mill has now laid down its shuttles, but there are others and we are stocking a large range of glorious coloured tweeds woven by Harris Tweed Hebrides. We have close to a hundred different colour ways of classic Harris Tweeds to choose from.

In addition to the classics we have our unique collaborative design Iona as below. This fashionable royal blue barley corn weave structure is a more modern design and suitable to wear in town and out in the country.

Our Iona cloth is handwoven on a Hattersley loom as below. If keeping a low carbon footprint is as important to you as it is to us then you will be interested to know that these looms are driven solely by foot power. The weaver literally puts his all into the production, boldly pedalling as no man has before…

Beam down to our shop at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone and even if your everyday items are facsimiled you can be sure your new Harris Tweed jacket is an original. Do drop us a line at Holly@DashingTweeds.co.uk if you have any questions or would like to book a Made to Measure appointment using one of our Harris Tweeds!

DASHING WOMEN: Flora Macdonald Johnston

Junior Fashion Editor of the FT, Flora is a fan of a check pattern. In a recent article about striking plaid designs Flora learned about Dashing Tweeds and how our creative process is on a constant roll. Enamoured by our urban designs, bringing tweed into town, Flora was very keen on sporting one of our jackets.

We are excited to announce we are launching an exclusive womenswear collection this September to include jackets, trousers, skirts and coats all through our made to measure tailoring service.

Flora desired a fashionable more masculine ‘boxy cut’ for everyday wear and easy pairing with her wardrobe which we sampled for her in our new designs. Through our new range of made to measure womenswear, each person can select the style and cut that suits them!

The cloth Flora chose is our Black Urban Shadow Check a medium weight fine Merino wool cloth with a beautiful drape and a quality to last for many years. As you can see Flora knows how to put a nonchalant look together par excellence, her wide leg trousers, colour coordinated accessories and flawless complexion need only a Dashing jacket for completion.

If you would like to book a Made to Measure appointment at the Dashing flagship shop, kindly drop an email to Holly@DashingTweeds.co.uk or pop in at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone, W1U 7ND.

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Dashing’s Latest Cloth Collection

This spring season we really are bringing you some most Dashing new fabrics. We’ve given traditional check and block designs a techno wake up with names coined from early 90’s video games and a playful attitude to match.

We’ve found that fine Merino wool is the very best for summer and so have concentrated on the highest quality 9oz suitings. This weight is ideal for creating an elegant drape and being pure wool the fabrics not only tailor well but are extremely comfortable to wear.

First up with have ‘Berzerk’, a beautifully balanced large scale Glen check with acid green and vibrant magenta threads against a ground of neutral ecru and grey. This in a way is the most traditional design and would make a splendid summer soiree or informal wedding suit.

Next up is ‘Pixels’, a Madras type design in greenish shades with a hot pink overcheck. Vibrant and large scale this is less formal and ideal as a daywear lounge suit for sauntering through life.

‘Tetris’ and ‘Galaxian’ as the names suggest are the boldest of our new block type design and like nothing you have seen before.

At first glance the sine wave undulating cubes in ‘Tetris’ floating against a wash of pink, green and grey may seem incongruous in a suit, yet surprisingly once tailored up the effect is mesmerising in a delightful way. We envisaged a short suit to be worn to dinner on a Balearic Isle, setting the scene for a night of ecstatic elation.

Similarly ‘Galaxian’ in a bolder, more graphic colour combination of magenta, acid green and grey would look unsurpassed when made up as a suit for summer cocktail parties.

Lastly ‘Block Out’ woven in navy and steel Merino yarns is a serious party fabric. The weave structure gives the face of the cloth a steely lustre through which the undulating dashes of navy traverse. For nights out in the spotlight or even on stage our modern new design ticks the box.

We are also excited to announce that we will be showcasing the latest collection at ‘Munich Fabric Start’ for the first time this season with our Agent Matthias Rollmann. The show runs from 29th – 31st January and has over 20,000 visitors yearly with 1,050 exhibitors, Dashing will be showcasing designs alongside other brands such as Fox Brothers, Alfred Brown, Ulster Weavers and Bernstein & Banleys.

To find out more about the show or to set up a meeting do drop us an email – Holly@DashingTweeds.co.uk

Do stop by our flagship shop at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone to shop our new cloth, or if you prefer to shop online click here where you can order samples from the new range as well!All the very best,

The Dashing Team

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A Conscious Christmas on Chiltern Street!

Christmas is a time of reflection and sometimes action. Scrooge just managed to save himself at the eleventh hour, making amends for his lack of concern and general stinginess, but can we? Planet earth has been plundered for generations, vast areas recklessly destroyed by greed, is it too late to save not just ourselves but the lives of others? These questions should be on everyones minds this season, hiding under the bedcovers is no longer an option. We are all witness now to the ghosts of habitats past.

The Portman Estate are taking action by hosting a ‘Conscious Christmas’ event on the 29th November on Chiltern Street. This will celebrate sustainability and careful use of resources, especially as the conversation around waste amplifies during the time when we shop for Christmas gifts. Throughout the event, many shops along the street will be hosting interactive events to celebrate the concepts of sustainable manufacturing, use and reuse.

During the evening of 29th November, Dashing will be hosting craft workshops in store giving live weaving demonstrations on a hand loom, showing visitors how important it is to use sustainable wools, as well as presenting our high quality tweeds and clothes that last for years and years.

Dashing will also be having a pop up stand on Chiltern Street, selling smaller products from our range such as hats, ties and jumpers; Christmas gifts which will be cherished for generations.

Sustainability is at the core of Dashing, the company exclusively works with wool woven in the UK, and a large part of the production is with British wool, resulting in a very low carbon footprint in relation to transport and production costs.

Dashing is passionate about supporting the British textile industry which traditionally is one of the most sustainable of all British industries. Wool comes from the indigenous sheep population which feeds on renewable grass, the dyes used at Dashing are all regulated to meet environmental standards.

At Dashing, environmental issues are highly important for the brand. The future plans of Dashing involve sourcing more sustainable British wools, and as the climate ameliorates, the fineness of indigenous yarns increases making them more comparable to imported Merino wools. The brand will continue to implement sustainable policies in production so that you can rest assured not to be haunted by guilt or even ghosts of unsustainable Christmas’ past.

Do stop by on the 29th November on Chiltern Street for some festive shopping and drinks celebrating a ‘Conscious Christmas’ before a peaceful holiday and hopefully not an unconscious new year.

All the very best,

The Dashing Team

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Gresham Blake – Dashing Tweeds Never Fail to Impress!

Dashing’s latest press coverage from Gresham Blake, a Brighton based tailor, discussing their love for Dashing’s latest AW18 collection!

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Wool Week October 8-21st

Since the formation of Campaign for Wool by The Prince of Wales in 2010, the company has promoted globally the multifarious benefits of wool, ranging from its versatility in clothing, use in thermal house insulation and its inherent sustainability. As a result the public is slowly becoming more aware of the role wool plays in everyday life from luxury tailoring, carpeting and saddle cloths.

Today, the global endeavour that is Campaign for Wool is growing faster than ever. Wider awareness and international visibility has lead to a host of events, talks and pop-ups across the UK ranging from a Wool and the Gang workshop in Covent Garden to a West Yorkshire Spinners trunk show in Wakefield.

Weaving is one of the most rudimentary industries of Britain yet the varieties of woven cloth designs have dwindled over the years. At Dashing, luxury menswear is restored through vibrant colour palettes and complex yarns amalgamated with wool. With a weave design studio in North East London headed up by the Fabric Design Director, Kirsty McDougall, Dashing also works with the best mills in the country to produce cloth. Wool has always been at the core of Dashing’s brand since the beginning, as it is ideal for suiting and a brilliant fibre to dye and weave and the heritage cloth indigenous to the UK.

As the climate in the UK ameliorates so wool yarns from native flocks become finer, some British wools are now almost compariable to Merino wools which have become so popular due to their long fine fibres creating such desirable fabrics. Through the Campaign for Wool, the interest in these exclusive British sheep is increasing and Dashing is planning on bringing you ‘single estate’ collections coming soon.

Due to the richness of events, Campaign for Wool have had to organise a 16 day week as there are so many participants this year. Marking its ninth year running, Wool Week is on until October 21st, so to get the chance to visit any workshops or events do check out the schedule here.

If you would like to book a Made to Measure appointment to add a dash of British wool to your wardrobe, please visit us on 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7ND or drop us an email at holly@dashingtweeds.co.uk

A Dashing Design Festival

With London Design Festival running from the 15-23rd September this year, Dashing takes a look at the must see pieces during the annual event. It is interesting to see where designers take their inspiration from and how key areas of design actively promote British heritage and craftsmanship. London rightly continues being recognised as a global centre of design.

Dashing is looking forward to seeing key installations such as ‘MultiPly’ by Waugh Thistleton Architects in The Sackler Courtyard at the V&A. Featuring modular plywood designs with an almost three dimensional weave like formation that builds a sense of similarity between fashion and design.

Sustainability is a prime theme in the piece as it ‘brings together a readily available carbon-negative materials such as American tulipwood to create modular designs’. Dashing closely connects to this through more sustainable materials such as wool which is a renewable, biodegradable resource.

‘Dazzle’ by design studio Pentagram at the V&A is an experimental piece on display this Design Festival which Dashing have their eyes on. Connected with the concept of camouflage in a similar way to traditional hunting tweeds, artists during the First World War pioneered disruptive geometric patterns for obscuring battleships. Pentagram have re-interpreted the illusions using typographic explorations from poems creating an immersive Dazzle room which Dashing is looking forward to visiting.

If like Dashing, the richness and history of textiles gets you excited then don’t miss the fabulous opportunity to view the V&A’s incredible historic collection at Blyth House. This is an old postal office that now stores all of the finest textiles in the V&A’s collection. The site is rarely open to the public and glimpsing through the archives fills Dashing with inspiration and wonder.

In line In line with this year’s London Design Festival, Dashing connects with London through their own Islington based weave design studio. This is Dashing’s hub of creativity, run by Kirsty, the studio hand weaves all new developments of the biannual collections before full scale production is woven in the best British mills.

If you would like to explore the events on during London Design Festival, click here and do stop by the Dashing flagship shop at 47 Dorset Street as Marylebone Design District is offering workshops and events during this year’s festival as well.

All the very best,

The Dashing Team

Dashing Introduces Womenswear!

We are happy to announce that Dashing now offers womenswear made to measure. We wanted to be able to cater to the needs of any women who walk through our doors and enjoy our vast selection of cloth. Our brand is all about fusing heritage with modern technology, which is evident in our wide variety of cloth, enabling both men and women to create their unique piece of clothing using our designs.

Our womenswear Made to Measure is a contemporary synthesis of luxury and elegance, aiming to reflect our brand vision and concept as wardrobe staples. Following a made to measure service which covers the fitting and design process, where we finalise each detail to create your individual Dashing look.

Whether you are looking for a jacket for work, a wedding or just for everyday wear, our vast range of designs and stylistic choices can suit any occasion.

To ensure the perfect fit, we tailor our womenswear using a range of in house blocks sizes. We then take all your measurements against these to ensure we achieve the look and fit you require, covering every aspect from the positioning of darts, height of waist, width of lapel and length of jacket.

If you would like to create your own made to measure jacket in any of our designs, please drop us an email here or stop by our shop to get measured up at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone.

All the very best,

The Dashing Team

Dashing’s AW18 Cloth Collection

For the upcoming Autumn/Winter 2018 season, Dashing’s focus was all about bringing character and charm to the collection. The original sounds of sixties bands such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen and The Kinks infused all corners of the world, leading the way for evermore experimental psychedelic acts. Dashing’s latest collection is highly influenced by these stars, appropriating the names for their newly designed fabrics.

Dashing’s staple combination of British heritage and modern technology is most evident in the ‘Bolan’ cloth, with various hues of sea tones, giving the look a flamboyant edge.

The AW18 ‘Kiss‘ design features a combination of plum, forest green, denim and black in the cloth as shown below. The design takes tweed into a new dimension, made up of traditional British wool and following a modern weave structure, making it highly unique.

Lambswool gives these cloth designs a lustrous soft touch. Bauhaus inspired block shapes with a rich red overcheck bestows the ‘Bay City‘ cloth with a design reminiscent of tweed classics shown below.

The ‘Hoople’ cloth features complex interlacing square structures in pure Merino wool. The design is a lighter weight cloth from our AW18 collection, resembling a small basket weave turned through 45 degrees. The small 5mm scale of the repeat detail enables a soft drape of the cloth to fall beautifully, making it ideal for casual everyday suits as well as dinner jackets.

Woven in Scotland and made up of 100% British wool, the ‘Queen‘ design features a stepped structure with black, green, charcoal and denim tones. Rich dark tones in broken stripes gives this design a subtle yet impressive impact for the wearer.

Eminently wearable, the ‘Bowie’ design is both adventurous yet classic. The shades of acid moss green, charcoal and grey amalgamate to create a fabulous fusion woven using a soft Lambswool yarn.

The ‘Sweet‘ cloth features pink reflective yarn running through the design, in order to give it a fresh and contemporary feel.

The ‘Mott‘ design is woven in the Scottish Borders, using 100% Merino wool with an end-and-end warp of navy and purple pavement colour way combined with the weft which uses a plum and London grey tonal base, giving the cloth a mottled colour effect.

The ‘Wizzard‘ features a soft blue reflective yarn woven through, making it suitable for relaxed evening wear especially when it’s paired with a simple shirt, bringing out the blue vibrance.

At Dashing, there is a selection of the AW18 designs made up into overcoats, individual jackets as well as 3 piece suits, so do stop by the flagship shop at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone to try on the pieces. Alternatively, if you would like to create your own made to measure jacket or suit in any of the new cloth designs you can drop an email to: holly@dashingtweeds.co.uk

All the very best,

The Dashing Team

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Tailors Uncovered: Kathryn Sargent

Having a suit tailored by Kathryn Sargent is the most creative and collaborative process. She is fascinated by the psychology of tailoring, how a suit can become an extension of your personality or a projection of your chosen image. Through discussions and observation on the way you move and walk Kathryn is able to make you anything you could possibly desire, from Edwardian styled frock coats and riding habits to unstructured travel jackets. There is no doubt that she has the skills and training to tailor for men and women at the highest possible Savile Row level.

This comes as no surprise when you learn that before Kathryn ventured out on her own she was the first ever female head cutter in the 200 year history of Savile Row, and not with any small outfit but with the iconic tailors at No1 Savile Row; Gieves and Hawkes.

Without realising it the road to the row was her destiny. Growing up in Leeds, the centre of Britain’s textile industry, cloth merchants and tailors were an everyday sight and bespoke suits were more of the norm. Kathryn was fascinated at how her father transformed for work by donning tailored suits, she felt an urge to create with textiles.

Being a ‘bit of a mod’ helped as the sharp lines and slick look of role models led to a desire for technical knowledge. Enrolling at Epsom Fashion College with the idea of becoming a fashion designer involved work experience at Denham and Goddardjust off Savile Row, the idea appealed not least because of Alexander McQueen’s success following training at Anderson and Sheppard. Arriving on the row Kathryn soon realised that just passing through was not enough; here was a place she never wanted to leave.

Eager, intelligent and interested Kathryn jumped at the chance when an opening as a trimmer at G&H under Peter O’Neill became available. At the time fifth generation Robert Gieves was still in the house and Kathryn marvelled at the way he related to customers, finding out exactly what they were looking for. The step up from trimming to striking out cloth, enabled Kathryn to start her journey through the ranks and to cut the story short by 2011 she was the head cutter of Gieves and Hawkes.

Always keen on learning more and relishing tailoring for even the most challanging body shapes Kathryn made the brave move to venture out on her own, taking a spare table at the classic tailoring house of Meyer and Mortimerin Sackville street. Here some of the most skilled of them all reside including the famously skilled Malcom Plews who was always happy to dispense his words of wisdom should pattern conundrums arise.

Coming from Leeds, Kathryn is always keen to champion British cloth, often steering her clients away from super soft expensive fabrics which are design with softness rather than longevity in mind. She is a great fan of our cloths, loving the “intelligent designs, innovative use of yarns and Britishness”. When I was last round several Dashing pieces were going through her workshop, one in our reflective raver for a lady who loves to cycle in town as well as dance the night away.