Tweed: The Trade Mark of the Country Set

In our last blog we looked at the history and intellectual property connections of tartan, which is predominantly connected with Scotland. But there’s another classic British fabric that is favoured by the society set and those who enjoy country pursuits: Tweed.

The name tweed is thought to have resulted from a pleasingly trade mark-related misunderstanding. The original Scots word for twill, “tweel”, was used to describe a fabric that is closely woven with a pattern – typically herringbone. In around 1831, London merchant James Locke received a written enquiry about some tweels, but misinterpreted the handwriting, taking it to be a trade-name relating to the River Tweed, which flows through the Scottish borders region famous for cloth manufacture. The goods were advertised as “Tweed” and the name stuck.

Tweed manufacture is connected with Scotland, Ireland and England, but its most well-known association is with the Scottish Outer Hebrides Islands. Harris Tweed is defined by the Harris Tweed Act 1993 as being cloth that is “handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides”. Fabric that satisfies these requirements may bear the registered certification mark of Harris Tweed® and the related ORB Trademark.

Use of the marks is maintained and governed by the Harris Tweed authority, which was created by the Harris Tweed Act. The Authority verifies that all goods officially bearing the mark meet the standards set out in the Act. It also vigorously defends against infringement, such as in this successful case against Cashmere and Tartans Ltd T/A Tartan House of Scotland.

Donegal tweed – from homespun yarn to international fame

County Donegal in Ireland is also closely associated with tweed manufacture. Centuries of cottage weaving received a boost in the late eighteenth century when six thousand flax spinning wheels and sixty looms were distributed to Donegal households by the Royal Linen Manufacturers of Ulster.

Donegal tweed can appear in the traditional herringbone and check patterns, but is most commonly found as a plain-weave cloth with coloured strands interwoven, creating a “heather” effect.

Much of the credit for the now-global reputation of Donegal tweed can be attributed to the Magee family business, founded in 1866. Over the generations the family expanded the business, collaborating with fashion designers to create ready-to-wear clothing ranges and becoming the largest and most well-known Donegal tweed producer in the world. Moving with the times, the business transitioned to factory-based machine-woven techniques in 1966.

Famous customers include President of Ireland Michael D Higgins and actor Mel Gibson.

Magee Clothing Ltd has registered trade marks in the UK and EU for the word mark MAGEE and the figurative mark depicting its mascot, which is an Irish Wolfhound, in classifications 18, 24, 25 and 35. There  ‘s evidence of brand evolution, too, with non-longer functioning EU marks showing a figurative typescript mark, rather than a simple word mark, for John Magee.

However, Magee certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on Donegal tweed and the safeguarding of its history and traditions. Visitors to the Triona Donegal Tweed Centre in Ardara, Donegal, can see the Mulhern family – descended from five generations of hand weavers – demonstrating the handweaving techniques that have been passed down over time. Tweed created by Triona uses 100% Irish lambswool. We couldn’t find any evidence that Triona has registered any of its marks, however.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our exploration of fabric heritage and intellectual property. If you’d like to know more, check out this delightful thread discussing Harris Tweed and Donegal Tweed.