Luxury fashion houses frequently make use of tweed in their designs. Photo: AFP
"When you see tweed on the runway, you don't expect it to come from here," joked 38-year-old former banker Alexander MacLeod as he set up his loom in a converted barn on the shores of a Scottish loch.
MacLeod became a weaver two years ago, joining residents on the islands of Lewis and Harris, off Scotland's northwest coast, in helping to rejuvenate the tweed industry after a significant period of decline.
