Burberry’s founder, Thomas Burberry, was passionate about partnering with local craftspeople and manufacturers, and appreciated British fabrics of the highest quality. In 1900, he began working with Johnstons of Elgin, a family-run business founded in 1797 in Elgin, Scotland, to create the brand’s iconic scarves.
Burberry celebrates British craftsmanship with its iconic Check cashmere scarf, crafted at Johnstons of Elgin.
Each scarf undergoes 30 steps, including washing in spring water and brushing with teasels for softness.
Burberry’s ‘Scarf for Tomorrow’ initiative offers care services like Refresh and Upcycle to ensure the longevity of its pieces, supporting tradition and innovation in British fashion.
Woven on traditional looms at Johnstons’ Scottish mill, it takes more than 30 steps to weave a single scarf. To achieve the correct Burberry Check colour pattern, the yarns are placed in a precise sequence on the loom. The fabric is washed in natural spring water which flows from the surrounding countryside, and is carefully brushed with teasels (dried flowers) to ‘raise’ the cloth, producing an ultra-soft finish.
The scarves are brushed and steamed to create the characteristic texture and natural lustre for which Burberry cashmere is known. A careful dyeing process ensures the most vivid colours in the yarns, before the scarves are finished with fringing using a specialist machine that stretches and twists each thread together.
Johnstons of Elgin is the only mill left in Scotland that looks after every process under one roof, taking raw fibre and carrying it through every stage of its transformation to the final product. Each stage is completed by dedicated craftspeople using expertise passed down through generations, and many processes are still completed by hand.
‘British fashion has an enduring relationship with craft, with myriad and often idiosyncratic forms existing across the British Isles today. Burberry’s long partnership with Johnstons continues Thomas Burberry’s legacy and preserves these crafts, keeping alive centuries-old Scottish traditions.’ Carly Eck, Brand Curator, Burberry.
‘Johnstons of Elgin and Burberry have worked together for almost 125 years.? We share a set of values around craftsmanship, heritage and the importance of community that are the foundation of our long relationship.? Our teams work closely to ensure that the creativity of Burberry design is expressed in the products we make, with quality and responsibility always at the forefront.?Together we support textile skills development in the UK, maintaining traditions that go back centuries whilst innovating and developing new fabrications and beautiful pieces.? It’s a great partnership.’ Chris Gaffney, Chief Executive Officer, Johnstons of Elgin.
To encourage longevity, Burberry launched Scarf for Tomorrow: an initiative that helps ensure its signature scarves can be worn for as long as possible, through aftercare services. Scarf Refresh helps restore the material’s soft finish through specialist brushing, steaming and misting, while Scarf Upcycle allows customers to choose from a range of threads and stitching options to repair areas of damage that may have occurred.
Burberry and Johnstons of Elgin share a commitment to responsible craftsmanship. Johnstons’ wholly-owned sites run on 100 per cent renewable energy, and it upholds strong partnerships with herders and farmers.
Note: The content of this press release has not been edited by Fibre2Fashion staff.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)