The Design Story
On April 29, 2024, Artfarm’s Fish Shop opened its doors in Washington, DC, marking a new chapter in the restaurant's story. This acclaimed Scottish seafood restaurant first made its mark in Ballater, nestled in Royal Deeside, and has now brought its ethos of sustainability, craftsmanship, and fresh, responsibly sourced seafood to The Wharf in Washington, DC. This is not the first collaboration between Artfarm and Araminta Campbell - it is the third. Araminta’s bespoke textile designs can also be found at The Fife Arms in Braemar and Mount St Restaurant in London’s Mayfair, making the Fish Shop tartan part of a continuing creative partnership.
The journey began in Ballater, Scotland, where the original Fish Shop is nestled in the heart of Royal Deeside. Known for its fresh, sustainably sourced seafood and warm hospitality, the restaurant’s ethos is one of celebrating the simple beauty of the sea and the traditions that sustain it. As the concept expanded across the Atlantic, Araminta Campbell was commissioned to design a bespoke tartan that would embody this spirit.
Araminta Birse-Stewart, Founder & Creative Director
The Fish Shop tartan’s colour palette is inspired by the world of fishing – both its rugged reality and its quiet poetry. Deep blue-greys and soft blues capture the ever-changing moods of the sea, while warm fawn and gold reflect the age-worn hues of fishing twine and the sunlit decks of weathered boats. Flecks of silvery grey recall the flash of fish caught in the nets, while a distinctive red stripe pays homage to the iconic markings of fishing vessels across the globe.
The tartan’s structure is a nod to the woven textures of ropes, nets, and lines – integral tools of the fishing trade. Drawing inspiration from the historic Deeside tartan, the design grounds the cloth in the geography of Royal Deeside. Subtle yet significant, the dark blue check, made with 23 threads, marks the founding of the original Fish Shop in 2023, creating a bridge between past and present.
True to Araminta Campbell’s ethos, the tartan was produced in partnership with artisan mills in rural Scotland. We believe in the importance of supporting Scotland’s textile industry, and projects like the Fish Shop tartan are a testament to this commitment. Working with artisan mills allows these time-honoured weaving skills to thrive, and seeing their exceptional craftsmanship showcased in an international setting like Washington, DC, is a proud moment.
We are immensely proud to collaborate so closely with our Scottish mill partners, ensuring that high-end, luxury Scottish textiles can reach a global audience. Each piece of the Fish Shop tartan is a product of skilled hands, a true heirloom textile that tells a story as rich and enduring as the sea itself.
Today, the bespoke tartan graces the interiors of Fish Shop in Washington, DC, a subtle but powerful symbol of the restaurant’s transatlantic heritage. Woven into the fabric of the space -quite literally – it is a reminder that true craftsmanship knows no borders.
The bespoke tartan forms a dramatic feature wall, where the cloth is carefully draped and ruched to create a rich, textural installation – a flowing sea of fabric that echoes the movement of waves. This artistic use transforms the tartan from a traditional textile into a sculptural focal point, celebrating the beauty of its colours and textures.
The tartan also appears on the chairs, offering a subtler but equally meaningful touch. Here, it becomes a quiet, elegant nod to the restaurant’s Scottish heritage, creating a cohesive and immersive design narrative. To book your table and visit the exquisite new Fish Shop in DC head to their website here.
Our custom design waitlist is now open. If you would like to learn more about our bespoke design service, please visit our Custom Design page.
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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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