23 Nov 2023
This film introduces the Munro capsule collection by Giles Deacon, created to celebrate the Festival of Fashion, combines the romance of the Highlands with high-fashion flair. Featuring bespoke pieces made from the house tweed and tartan by Araminta Campbell, this collection is a nod to the demure Victoriana style that is in keeping with the hotel’s aesthetic and the spirit of Frances Farquharson. From a dramatic draped cape to a versatile Munro Bag, these pieces are equally at home in the Highlands or on city streets.
Araminta Campbell are thrilled to have been part of the most amazing collaboration with acclaimed fashion designer Giles Deacon for the Fife Arms Festival of Fashion.
Giles is a London based couture designer known for his expertly crafted pieces using bespoke designed fabrics and for the Fife Arms Festival of Fashion, Giles created beautiful capes using the Fife Arms House Tweed and Tartan designed by Araminta Campbell.
The cloth designs were created to work together with a focus on the Heritage of the building and the colours of the landscape. The colours of the tweed are inspired by the native Scots Pine forest of the Cairngorms national park with three shades of green in the tweed reflecting the change in colours through the seasons. The tartan colours reflect the tweed with the dark green and olive check with added yellow checks for the broom and gorse flowers that are seen across the landscape with the red representing the fast running waters of the river running off the surrounding mountains and finally the beautiful soft pinky grey which was drawn from the beautiful Granite Aberdeenshire is known for and the soft pink hue as seen in the stone of the Fife Arms building.
Giles drew the inspiration for his cape design not only from the sophisticated tones in the fabric but from the romanticism of the history of the Fife Arms linked to the history of fashion in the Cairngorms and in particular a flamboyant society hostess called Frances Farquharson who had been friends with iconic fashion figures such as Dior and Schiaparelli. Giles wanted to create contemporary pieces that brought together the culture and the creativity, just what both Araminta Campbell and the Fife Arms are all about.
Click here to find out more on this Fife Arms collaboration with Giles Deacon using the house tweed and tartan designed by Araminta Campbell.
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We are guardians of people’s stories...
We ourselves are stories that weave and take shape through the thread, thanks to the gentle hands of the weavers.
The yarn, the loom, our and your stories, are the tools we have chosen to make what cannot be seen or touched, real and wearable. We give shape to the values in which we believe, we give voice to stories to be shared with those dearest to us, forever.
Not just exquisite works of art to wear, but ambassadors, ‘talking’ objects, timeless storytellers of meanings and values that we want to preserve and pass on.
Meet Isabelle, one of our talented handweavers!
Isabelle has long had an interest in textiles, ever since her grandmother taught her to sew.
She discovered weaving when visiting universities before applying to study. Immediately captivated by the woven textile displays at Loughborough University – the home of our George Wood looms – She became fascinated by how these complex woven structures could be created from just a few cones of yarn.
Isabelle enjoys the slow, hands-on process of weaving, appreciating how it demands your full and present focus, and is always excited to share the complexities of handweaving to our visitors.
Meet Helen, one of our talented handweavers!
As an advocate for sustainability and ethical production, handweaving appealed to Helen as the embodiment of slow, responsible craft.
She fell in love with the challenging yet meditative weave process during her textile degree at the Glasgow School of Art.
Helen adores that she can name the alpacas in the pieces that she weaves, as this level of provenance imbues the pieces with deeper meaning for both weaver and future owner.
We choose 100% undyed British alpaca fiber for our designs because it embodies the values we hold dear: sustainability, durability, and unparalleled luxury. Each fleece is sourced from carefully chosen UK farms where animal welfare is a top priority.
Our close relationships with breeders enable us to trace many of our yarns back to the individual alpacas, ensuring exceptional quality and transparency. The alpaca’s fleeces are left undyed, allowing the natural richness and unique tones of their coats to shine through in every piece.
In the UK, only 5–10% of alpacas produce fleece of the exceptional quality we require. Every fiber is meticulously selected for its fineness, crimp, luster, and colour, ensuring our pieces meet the highest standards of luxury and craftsmanship.
It has taken years for our weavers to attain the skill and knowledge required to create our handwoven items.
Handweaving takes precision and patience, with each warp prepared by hand and meticulously threaded through the shafts of the loom. Once weaving is complete there is a lengthy finishing process involving darning, stitching, washing and brushing – all by hand.
It can take our handweavers anywhere between 2 to 6 weeks to complete one of our Signature pieces.
Each piece in our Heritage handwoven collection has been inspired by Araminta’s deep love for the natural beauty of the Scottish landscape.
From the golden glow of the beech woodlands surrounding her family home in the Royal Deeside Corridor during autumn, to the ethereal light of the Scottish Highlands at dawn and dusk, the landscape is a constant source of inspiration for Araminta. The shifting interplay of colours, textures, and natural rhythms informs each handwoven piece, translating fleeting moments into timeless design.
Any moment in time could become Araminta’s next creation.
Meet Lisa, one of our talented handweavers!
Lisa studied weaving at Heriot Watt University, in the borders of Scotland – an area renowned for its textile production.
She always enjoyed creating things and was recommended to study textiles by her art teacher. When first starting out in her weave degree, she found the slow process of setting up challenging, yet today it’s her favourite part.
She finds peace whilst threading the loom, enjoying and embracing the flow.
Each piece has been lovingly handwoven and finished in our Edinburgh Atelier by our team of handweavers on vintage George Wood looms.
Araminta Campbell is one of the largest employers of handweavers in Scotland, fostering employment for talented craftspeople in Scotland plays a vital role in preserving the rich legacy of Scottish textile craftsmanship. Every thread woven in the Atelier carries with it the heritage and passion of centuries-old traditions, brought vividly to life through contemporary designs, and the work of our talented weavers.
It has taken years for our weavers to attain the skill and knowledge required to create our handwoven items.
Handweaving takes precision and patience, with each warp prepared by hand and meticulously threaded through the shafts of the loom. Once weaving is complete there is a lengthy finishing process involving darning, stitching, washing and brushing – all by hand.
When you choose one of our handwoven treasures, you’re not just owning a piece of Scotland’s rich textile heritage – you’re connecting with the hands that brought it to life.
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