The inventors of tradition

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Situated at the intersection between art, design and social history, The Inventors of Tradition is a fascinating and original visual study of the history of the Scottish textiles industry since the 1930s. For decades, textiles were Scotland's primary industry and export, and Scottish wool, cashmere, tweed, leather, lace and of course tartan has been celebrated and sought across the world for centuries. Conceived as a sort of dossier or scrapbook, this volume brings together design swatches, product shots, film stills, interviews and the archival materials of individuals and companies in the Scottish textiles trade. In response to this wealth of material, the artist Lucy McKenzie and designer Beca Lipscombe (of Atelier) have produced a series of new works including clothing, furniture and accessories in collaborative partnership with Caerlee Mills, Begg Scotland, Hawick Cashmere, Laura Lees, Jannette Murray, Mackintosh, Muehlbauer and Steven Purvis.