A new fabric has
been created using Harris Tweed that will permanently give off the smell of
whisky.
Two of Scotland’s
iconic brands have collaborated to create a “fabric of flavour”. The cloth has
been developed by Heriot Watt University's School of Textiles and Design in
Edinburgh and Galashiels. The "smart fabric" has been developed for Johnnie
Walker Black Label and Harris Tweed Hebrides. The collaboration has resulted in
a fabric design which reflects the colors of the whisky ingredients. The Harris
Tweed fabric also carries a unique scent named Aqua Alba, which is based
on the ‘key notes of the nose of the liquid”. The nose of the liquid is
referring to the aromas released from a glass of whisky. The scent called Aqua
Alba has been designed to replicate that smell.
Johnnie Walker said
of the aroma: "The unique scent, inspired by the nose of our liquid, echoes the
masterful whisky production process. "The key notes of rich malt, golden
vanilla, red fruit and the trademark dark chocolate tones have been layered onto
the fabric to achieve the unique final nose and finish of the Johnnie Walker
Fabric of Flavour”.
Donald Mackay, who
heads the finishing department at the Harris Tweed Hebrides mill in Shawbost,
Isle of Lewis, said: “I have worked with aromas in the past but they were only
meant to withstand one dry clean. The process we have devised for Johnnie
Walker means that this scent is layered into the fabric throughout the finishing
process and is permanently imbued in the tweed”.
They are planning
to market a range of products using the smart fabric.
In the opinion of
Apparel Search, this may lead to trouble for people who are pulled over for
speeding or other traffic violations. Do you really want your clothing to smell
like liquor if you are pulled over by the police? Probably not a good idea to
smell like booze while driving.
According to
Johnnie Walker, the cloth smells of "rich malt, golden vanilla, red fruit and
dark chocolate tones". The tweed used was woven at Harris Tweed Hebrides' mill
in Shawbost on Lewis and has the colors of the ingredients of Johnnie Walker
Black Label.
The first of a
range of products by Milan-based designer Angelos Bratis is unveiled in
Berlin and will be marketed in Germany, Greece, and Belgium to
start.
This is certainly a
creative project and we look forward to seeing if this trend makes its way to
the United States fashion market.
You can learn more
from the following news articles from Europe:
It is nice to know
that Johnnie
Walker and Harris Tweed Hebrides have a whisky scented
fabric. We wonder if Mexico will create something with a Tequila
scent so that they can compete with Scotland.
Harris Tweed Hebrides, the award-winning company based at Shawbost on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, now accounts for around 90 percent of Harris Tweed production. They export to over 60 countries and our customers include Alexander McQueen, Chanel, YSL, Paul Smith, Margaret Howell, J Crew, Rag&Bone, and Vivienne Westwood.
Harris Tweed Hebrides, was founded in 2007 when Harris Tweed was at a low ebb, is generally credited with having revitalized the industry and taken the famous fabric into the front-line of 21st century fashion and design.
Learn more about Harris
Tweed here on the Apparel Search fashion blog or visit The Harris Tweed Authority for educational information about Harris Tweed.
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