Scottish fashion seeks new talent for homespun crafts
Far from the glamour of fashion weeks in Paris_ Milan and London_ a nondescript cashmere mill on Scotland's western coast that supplies luxury labels hopes local training programmes can attract new talent.
"It's a dying trade_" 61-year-old Maria Wade said of her job as a "greasy mender" at Alex Begg_ a semi-rural mill that has been based in Ayr in southwest Scotland for more than a century.
The weaving mill supplies cashmere to prestigious fashion brands_ which cannot be named for confidentiality reasons_ as well as its own luxury label_ Begg x Co.
"You don't get many people mending raw cashmere_" said Wade_ whose role is to meticulously inspect and darn any defects in the fabric by hand_ before it is washed_ cut and shipped around the world.
Famed for its luxury tweeds_ wools and cashmeres_ Scotland's textile industry has seen a sharp decline in recent decades as high manufacturing costs struggle to compete with cheap production abroad_ and an ageing workforce retires_ taking traditional manufacturing skills with them.
When technical transformation director Lorna Dempsey joined Alex Begg more than 25 years ago_ the average age was "quite old"_ she told AFP_ "about 50-plus".
Since then_ the company has made a "conscious effort to try and recruit younger people" and brought the average age down to around 40.
It's no easy task in the run-down former mining town_ with those interested in fashion careers looking to places such as Glasgow_ around an hour's drive away_ or even further afield.
"We don't have a lot of skills within the Ayrshire area_ so it's very difficult for us to try and find skilled staff_" said Dempsey.
The rise of fast fashion has made it harder to find young people with manufacturing know-how.
"A lot of our operations are definitely a skill from the past_" said Dempsey_ adding that people don't learn how to "darn their socks anymore."
'On my doorstep'
The mill's partnership with the King's Foundation -- a charity founded by King Charles III and headquartered in the nearby Dumfries House estate -- has helped turn things around.
The foundation runs programmes aimed at addressing "a skills gap within the UK textile industry".
Trainees learn about production lines_ supply chains_ working with different materials and sustainable design -- skills that employers say are often not covered in fashion school.
They are then given work experience at Scottish mills such as Alex Begg_ and some like Emma Hyslop manage to secure a job.
Sat behind a fringing machine at the mill_ Hyslop_ 28_ deftly ran a dark cashmere fabric destined for a Spanish luxury brand through its frame_ twisting the ends of the cloth into fringes.
After getting a fashion design diploma at a Glasgow college_ Hyslop did a six-week course with the King's Foundation_ through which she discovered the luxury mill in her backyard.
"I had no idea about the place beforehand_ and it's on my doorstep_ " said Hyslop_ from south Ayrshire.
"We're actually quite a hidden gem_" said Dempsey.
"So it's our job_ our legacy_ to keep bringing people through our manufacturing businesses_ and keep bringing the skills alive again."
Heritage skills
The mill currently has four apprentices_ and is hoping to add more this year.
Dempsey also gives talks to local primary school children with the King's Foundation.
It is an issue close to the king's heart_ with the British monarch attending Thursday's opening of London Fashion Week and meeting apprentices "supporting heritage skills and sustainability" -- including students on King's Foundation programmes.
Nicole Christie founded her own sustainable women's luxury brand_ Ellipsis_ after completing a textile programme at Dumfries House in 2020.
Entering luxury fashion in Scotland is "difficult"_ said Christie_ with other major brands usually based in London or other European cities.
"At one point_ leaving university_ I did think that I would have to move down south_" said Christie_ who instead decided to build her brand in Glasgow.
"I'm really proud that I'm doing it here_ and I really hope one day that I'll actually be able to give other people opportunities."(AFP)