TO mark International Tweed Day today an Ardara-based weaver has spoken out about the importance of securing Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status from the European Commission for Donegal Tweed.
Kieran Molloy is a sixth–generation weaver with Molloy & Sons, and is among a number of Donegal tweed businesses working to secure the status.
Donegal Tweed is a traditional wool fabric characterised by its distinctive flecks of colour and is extremely popular among international fashion houses and designers.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Kieran said Molloy & Sons was set up alongside his father, Shaun twelve years ago.
“80 per cent of the fabric we sell is used in menswear clothing. We export to America, Japan, China, South Korea, Italy, UK, France, Germany, and the rest of Europe.
“We sell our fabric as a raw material to leading international menswear brands and fashion houses, who use it to make up their garments. Our fabrics regularly feature on the runways of fashion weeks in Milan, New York, and Tokyo,” he said.
“At Molloy & Sons, it’s important that we have our own signature aesthetic, using our own yarns, colours, and designs” added Kieran.
“The vast majority of our collection is Donegal Tweed with fleck; we don’t really focus on other styles because we prefer to stick to our Donegal core.
“When we are working with a designer, for example, our most popular weave is a plain weave with black and white or grey Donegal fleck, but sometimes fashion houses want to see other weaves and patterns, and we try to mix up our use of colours to keep things interesting.
“When you’re selling internationally, the story, heritage and provenance behind a brand is important, and the story of Donegal Tweed really resonates with fashion designers looking for a genuine and authentic fabric,” he said.
Commenting on PGI status for Donegal Tweed, Kieran said the European Commission is widening the number of European goods with protected status from food and drink to products such as Donegal Tweed.
“The new rules would mean only producers in specific regions using agreed processes could sell goods across the EU by the protected name to avoid cheap competition, in the same way that champagne can only be produced in the Champagne region of France, Parma Ham in Parma, northern Italy and Waterford Blaa in Waterford.
“This would be a particularly important development for Donegal Tweed because without a specific designation, there’s nothing to stop products being made anywhere and sold as locally crafted items, so people have no way of knowing if the tweed they are buying is genuine Donegal Tweed.
“It’s similar to an intellectual property right, and it will increase trust and visibility for Donegal Tweed, guaranteeing authenticity and reputation.
“As a direct result, we also believe that an initiative like this will contribute to the creation of skilled jobs especially for SMEs and to the development of tourism across Donegal. We also anticipate that it will lead to an increased demand from fashion houses and bulk orders of fabric from consumer brands designing garments and other products,” he said.
While Molloy & Sons has traditionally always been an export-focused business, the team is exploring new opportunities with the domestic market: “We secured a grant from Local Enterprise Office Donegal to help us buy machines that allowed us to expand into making scarves” Kieran said.
“This also helps us make our throws and blankets more efficiently. In general, I think the opportunity around PGI status is an exciting one for Donegal Tweed and the county as a whole, because this is not a trademark for an individual company, it’s shared by a community. When legislation is passed, anyone claiming to be weaving Donegal tweed must be based in Donegal. Otherwise, they will be stopped by the EU, so it will benefit the whole craft industry here and help us to protect the authenticity of Donegal Tweed and sustain jobs in rural Donegal.”
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