30 Jun 2023
Luxury used to be associated with extravagance and excess, the word luxury originates from Latin ‘luxuria’ excess and ‘luxus’ extravagance, but now luxury brands like us are finding that the customers are perceiving luxury to be more about the experience and the added value behind the product. We are finding that our customers value the experience of shopping for their item and the story behind it as much as owning the piece itself. Perhaps after the pandemic, we are all valuing human connection more than ever and this can also be a key part of the luxury experience too.
Araminta Birse-Stewart our Founder and Creative Director explains, ‘90% of our clients discover us by word of mouth, there is no one thing we do that creates true luxury its is about covering ever detail to the best of our ability, we achieve this by creating personal connections with our client during their visits to our castle like atelier combined with creating pieces with a story they can connect to and that make them feel special, when they are with us but also from the memories created that travel away with each of our pieces’
Frank de Pino in ‘Media Boom’ (June 19, 2023) explains that today ‘luxury focuses more on things that money cannot buy, such as the notion of freedom’ and goes on to quote David Abraham of Design House Abraham saying that ‘luxury today is about value, not property’.
We have brought in QR codes and include these with our products as we are finding our customers want to hear the story behind the piece and the inspiration behind the design and the story of the brand.
Richard Kestenbaum in his Forbes article (Dec 16, 2021), on explaining how the definition of luxury is expanding and changing cited Jared Weiner of The Future Hunters and his ‘3 T’s of Luxury’, ‘time, truth and trust’. He went on to explain that consumers valued their time and wanted an experience from their shopping.
Another component of a luxury product is its rarity, we find that customers are fascinated to find out all about why we use alpaca fibre and that it is rarer than cashmere (there are estimated 5 million alpacas worldwide used for their fleeces, compared to around 700 million cashmere goats).
The Slow Fashion movement has been growing and our brand very much fits into this category (one full-time handweaver produces 45 pieces in a year) but now we are learning about ‘Quiet Luxury’, Annie Davidson Watson in Vogue Magazine explains ‘quiet luxury…it’s exceptionally high-quality, logo-free …it’s not a trend, it’s the opposite’. At a time where we are all on a journey to net zero and sustainability, we like so many brands welcome the move to customers wanting to buy items that last that like our products are made to be passed to the next generation not thrown away.
If you would like to take a look at our timeless collections, click here for MINTA, our contemporary interiors collection, or here for HERITAGE our Handwoven and Millwoven tartans and here for SIGNATURE, Araminta’s woven works of art.
Appendix:
"*" indicates required fields
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.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
"*" indicates required fields
