B O U N DA RY - B R E A K I N G B E AU T Y
FASHION&DESIGN The Timelessness of Tweed In his new book Homespun, Fashion journalist J. Joseph Pastrana proves that tweed is the once and future fabric
EMBRACE MAGAZINE
94
J.
Joseph Pastrana is a man on a mission. In his new book Homespun: True Tales of Tweed, the New York Citybased fashion journalist wants to convince you of three things about a fabric whose history goes back a few hundred years (and probably much more): First, tweed is modern. It’s a material that’s having its moment right now, with a durability that lends itself well to upcycling. Designers can transform an old-fashioned sport coat into a sleek messenger bag. Second, tweed is stylish. Fashion-forward designers — think Vivienne Westwood’s punk aesthetic or Alexander McQueen’s edgy takes on the classics — have used it to make strong statements. Today, Bodega uses tweed in its trademark kicks. Third, tweed can be transgressive, whether it’s Coco Chanel’s pushing of gender roles or Bindle & Keep doing away with them altogether. We talked to Pastrana about his inspiration for the book, designers who are doing innovative things today, and where tweed will be in 100 years. I WONDERED WHY A FASHION JOURNALIST WOULD CHOOSE TO WRITE ABOUT TWEED, WHICH SEEMS ABOUT AS FAR FROM STYLISH AS YOU COULD GET, BUT YOU PROVE EARLY ON IN THE BOOK THAT DESIGNERS HAVE ALWAYS LOVED IT. COCO CHANEL REALLY HAD A THING FOR IT.
Admittedly, the subject was entirely my publisher's idea. It took me a week to really think about it and see if it was a topic that merited examination. While I was aware that the fabric continues
©JAMES NORMAN, COURTESY OF LINTON TWEEDS
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BY MARK SULLIVAN
