Discover our product journey from start to finish to see what makes our LISH Harris Tweed luxury dog coats so special and sustainable
Our product journey begins in the Outer Hebrides. For more than a century one of the world's most durable & fashionable fabrics has been made from pure wool in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland using traditional skills.
Sustainably sourced Wool is used in LISH garments from local hill sheep. The hill sheep are raised outdoors on pasture and shorn once a year for their own health and comfort and always guaranteed non-mulesed. Mulesing involves stripping the skin from a sheep's backside to stop flies from laying eggs in the sheep's wool. It is a painful process for the animal and in many cases the sheep still get Flystrike after being mulesed. We have always used non-mulesed wool.
The scoured wool is dyed and spun in the mill before it goes to the weavers home to be woven. Fibre dyeing scoured wool provides an unrivalled depth of colour. All dyes are on the approved list of ZDHC ( Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) and compliant with UK and EU regulations. The ZDHC's "Roadmap to Zero" programme was designed to protect the planet by reducing industry's chemical footprint. We do not bleach our wool, we use fibre in its natural state to create our lightest yarn shades. Using soft clean Hebridean water reduces the chemicals required in the production process.
Preparing the Loom - over the centuries, this skill has largely disappeared and the Harris Tweed industry remains a rare exception, the intricate skills, both of mill workers and home weavers have been built up over generations.
Harris Tweed has been woven in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland for centuries. Woven by crofter's in their own homes, weaving the Harris Tweed cloth is a unique skill passed on from generation to generation. There are around 150 highly skilled independent weavers scattered around the Island who hand weave this special cloth. Harris Tweed provides a vital contribution to the economy of the islands and sustainable rural employment to mill workers and home weavers who live in the most remote communities in the Scottish Hebrides.
Harris Tweed is a beautiful handwoven natural fibre that is soft to handle, lasts for up to 25 to 30 years and is both insulating and breathable making it temperature regulating so keeps your dog cool when hot and warm when cold. It's warm in winter, cool in summer. This special fabric is soft, comfortable, breathable, luxurious and enduring.
Designer and LISH Creative Director Lilly Shahravesh has over 30 years experience of working with textiles and designs and develops all of the LISH coat patterns before the coats are handcrafted here in the UK. Since 2003, the majority of our products have always been made from natural fibres such as wool and cotton as they are biodegradable.
Countless hours go in to the handcrafting each of our exclusive dog coat designs. Finished with our own soft cotton corduroy fabric for the luxurious contrast edging and lined with warm lambs wool fleece and hallmarked with the luxury LISH stamp.
Here are the 8 benefits of our LISH wool dog coats
- The wool is 100% natural fibre
- It's produced each year from Hill sheep making it a truly renewable fibre source
- Wool is biodegradable
- Its both insulating and breathable which means it can retain heat in cool weather and keep you cool in warm weather
- Its inherently flame retardant
- Wool is easy to care for - its resistant to odours so required less cleaning than many other fibres
- Due to its long-life cycle it is well suited to the emerging concept of the circular economy
- Wool has an expected usable life of 20 -30 years although some people get many more years of wear out of their Harris Tweed garments.
New for AW20/21 The Sidney Harris Tweed Dog Coat
Not only are our Tweed coats stylish they are also functional keeping your dog warm and dry naturally. Don't believe us? Ask Rabbit, Lilly's terrier muse who has been testing and and rolling in Lilly's designs since 2003.
To find out more visit www.lishlondon.com
All our LISH designer dog coats are available in a range of sizes including Dachshund coat sizes and Whippet coat sizes with matching items such as luxury designer dog collars and designer dog leads available.
