Lovat Mill: The Home of Tweed
Every season at Noah, there’s one fabric that, by chance or by fate, captures the imagination of our design team. It starts as a swatch pinned to a board, surrounded by reference images, and slowly finds its way across multiple garments in the collection. Part of the joy in what we do lies in showing a fabric in an unexpected way, reimagining its use where a more “appropriate” textile might normally appear. Cue our slippers, cut from Cheviot cloth by Lovat Mill.
This season, we’ve gone all in on Lovat. Known as the “Home of Tweed,” Lovat Mill has been weaving in Hawick, Scotland, since 1882. The very name “tweed” owes its origin to a happy accident, a London merchant’s misreading of the word “tweel” on a shipment label in 1826. Nearly two centuries later, Lovat continues to balance tradition and innovation, producing everything from estate to regimental tweeds for discerning customers around the world.
Used across our Single-Breasted Wool Jacket and Trouser, Lovat’s flannel quality was developed to replicate the hand and character of early 20th-century superfine wool flannels. Through a meticulous double-set, double-crop finishing process, the fibers are carefully shrunk to achieve a dense, structured fabric rarely seen outside of vintage garments. For our Wool Slippers and Double-Breasted Blazer, we turned to a classic Cheviot cloth, woven from the wool of hardy sheep native to the English-Scottish borderlands. Known for its durability and crisp hand, Cheviot wool offers structure without stiffness, embodying both resilience and refinement in every piece.
To better understand Lovat Mill, the place it calls home and the fabric it continues to perfect, we sat down with Design Director Alan Cumming for a chat.
Photos by Paul Hempstead
The mill’s roots trace back to Hawick and the Scottish Borders. How has the region shaped your identity and approach to clothmaking?
Lovat Mill’s success and longevity are a direct result of our location and heritage. We’re incredibly fortunate to still be based in Hawick, a town where textile history runs deep and appreciation for craftsmanship is part of the culture. Every member of our team shares a passion for producing cloths of the highest quality, combining luxury, performance, and true sustainability in every meter.
Color is such an important part of Lovat’s tweeds: the greens, ochres, and muted heathers. How are these palettes created, and what inspires them?
The colors and textures of the Scottish Borders landscape are an endless source of inspiration. The vibrant mixtures within our yarns reflect the heathered hillsides, mossy forests, and rich earth tones that surround us. Many of our complex yarn recipes date back over a century, heritage formulas that continue to define our aesthetic today.
Is there a particular fabric in your archives that best represents Lovat’s spirit?
We don’t show preference to any one cloth, every fabric we weave carries that same Lovat spirit.
Lovat Mill has been called “the home of tweed.” What does that phrase mean to you today?
Being the only weaving mill still manufacturing in the town of Hawick, Scotland, and located on Commercial Road, the very street where the word tweed originated, Lovat Mill has the honor and privilege of being internationally recognized as the legitimate “Home of Tweed.”
How has the definition of tweed evolved since the 1800’s and what makes a Lovat tweed distinct from others?
Our company ethos is to produce fabrics that are not only of high quality but also long-lasting. The best way to achieve this is by using natural fibers such as wool, cashmere, flax, and alpaca in our collections. These fibers are renewable and biodegradable, sourced from all-natural origins, offering a rich, soft feel that cannot be replicated. They also lend themselves beautifully to translating the colors and designs we wish to present.
Lovat Mill has been called “the home of tweed.” What does that phrase mean to you today?
Being the only weaving mill still manufacturing in the town of Hawick, Scotland, and located on Commercial Road, the very street where the word tweed originated, Lovat Mill has the honor and privilege of being internationally recognized as the legitimate “Home of Tweed.”
How has the definition of tweed evolved since the 1800’s and what makes a Lovat tweed distinct from others?
Our company ethos is to produce fabrics that are not only of high quality but also long-lasting. The best way to achieve this is by using natural fibers such as wool, cashmere, flax, and alpaca in our collections. These fibers are renewable and biodegradable, sourced from all-natural origins, offering a rich, soft feel that cannot be replicated. They also lend themselves beautifully to translating the colors and designs we wish to present.
The mill’s roots trace back to Hawick and the Scottish Borders. How has the region shaped your identity and approach to clothmaking?
Lovat Mill’s success and longevity are a direct result of our location and heritage. We’re incredibly fortunate to still be based in Hawick, a town where textile history runs deep and appreciation for craftsmanship is part of the culture. Every member of our team shares a passion for producing cloths of the highest quality, combining luxury, performance, and true sustainability in every meter.
Color is such an important part of Lovat’s tweeds: the greens, ochres, and muted heathers. How are these palettes created, and what inspires them?
The colors and textures of the Scottish Borders landscape are an endless source of inspiration. The vibrant mixtures within our yarns reflect the heathered hillsides, mossy forests, and rich earth tones that surround us. Many of our complex yarn recipes date back over a century, heritage formulas that continue to define our aesthetic today.
Is there a particular fabric in your archives that best represents Lovat’s spirit?
We don’t show preference to any one cloth, every fabric we weave carries that same Lovat spirit.
What does a perfect day in Hawick look like to you?
Tweed, whisky, and shortbread: the perfect combination.
What does a perfect day in Hawick look like to you?
Tweed, whisky, and shortbread: the perfect combination.
How does it feel knowing your fabrics might outlast their owners, becoming heirlooms in their own right?
It’s something we’re deeply proud of. But more than that, we’re honored to be continuing Scotland’s tweed-making tradition by following in the footsteps of generations of craftspeople before us. We’re standing on the shoulders of giants, carrying forward a legacy that’s both special and rare.
How does it feel knowing your fabrics might outlast their owners, becoming heirlooms in their own right?
It’s something we’re deeply proud of. But more than that, we’re honored to be continuing Scotland’s tweed-making tradition by following in the footsteps of generations of craftspeople before us. We’re standing on the shoulders of giants, carrying forward a legacy that’s both special and rare.