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GCU, Harris Tweed and Brooks Brothers to
put sustainable fashion in the spotlight
The story of two high-profile heritage fashion brands – one Scottish, one American – will be the focal
point of Glasgow Caledonian University’s (GCU) first ‘Town Hall’ meeting – one of a series of events
being held to mark the opening of the University’s New York campus.
The ‘Town Hall’ approach sees academics and professionals collaborating with students and industry
experts to encourage new learning. The first event in the GCU New York Town Hall, ‘Fashion Sharing
Progress’ series, will combine the expertise of the GCU British School of Fashion, launched last year,
with the knowledge and experience of cloth-manufacturer Harris Tweed Hebrides and Brooks
Brothers, the Madison Avenue-based clothier which has used the renowned Scottish fabric in its
designs for more than 80 years.
Harris Tweed Hebrides Creative Director Mark Hogarth and Chairman Brian Wilson will be joined by
Brooks Brothers Senior Fabric Specialist Doug Shriver and around 100 guests at the event on
Tuesday, April 8. Mr Hogarth is a GCU alumnus while Mr Wilson – a former UK Trade Minister – is a
Visiting Professor in GCU’s Glasgow School for Business and Society. The debate will be moderated
by Nick Sullivan, the Fashion Director of Esquire magazine in the US.
The role Harris Tweed has played in sustaining communities in the Scottish islands, while
simultaneously reinventing itself as an in-demand fabric used by high-fashion houses such as Chanel
and Galliano, will introduce a wider discussion on the industry, sustainability and ethical supply
chains. Brooks Brothers is one of the oldest men’s clothier chains in the United States and is
headquartered in Manhattan.
Mr Hogarth said: “It is great to see our fellow Scottish institution GCU with a presence in New York.
Like the University, we at Harris Tweed Hebrides feel passionately about the ethics of the textile
industry and encouraging the debate about the ethics of production is something that we
enthusiastically support.”
Mr Shriver said: “Brooks Brothers has a long-standing tradition of working with Harris Tweed. It is a
fabric sought by our customers and a fabric which connects us to our 196-year heritage.”
The University launched the GCU British School of Fashion in 2013. This creative educational hub
nurtures and supports new management talent for one of the world’s most dynamic and highlycompetitive industries, worth £26 billion a year to the UK economy alone. The ‘Town Hall Meeting’
format is a way of building on that expertise to explore ideas and encourage debate and public
participation.
Cara Smyth, Vice President of GCU New York, said: “GCU is dedicated to its mission of being a
university for the common good. Town Hall Meetings will welcome presentations by thought
leaders, offer a space for conversation and divergent thinking, and look to provide the stimulus for
action and new solutions by highlighting the issues.
“The first of our multi-part series, ‘Fashion Sharing Progress’, will focus on what the apparel industry
is doing to create positive change in the world. Topics such as sustainable profits with social and
environmental responsibility, ethical supply chain management and social business development will
be among those discussed.”
An exhibition of 30 images taken on the Outer Hebrides by photographer Ian Lawson, whose
collection ‘From The Land Comes The Cloth’ won the Best British Book at the 2013 British Book
Design and Production Awards, will accompany the event.
It will be the first time the photographs, which capture the landscapes that have produced the cloth
for hundreds of years, have been exhibited outside of the Outer Hebrides.
For more information, please contact:
Charles McGhee, Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Tel: +44 (0) 141 331 8670; Mobile + 44 (0)7527 424989
Notes to Editors:
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GCU New York Media Pack is available here www.gcu.ac.uk/gcunewyorkmedia
Glasgow Caledonian University is an international university delivering excellence, with an
over-arching commitment to the common good. With 17,000 students from 100 countries
at its main Glasgow campus and outreach campuses in London, New York, Bangladesh and
Oman, the University offers a dynamic environment for learning, teaching and applied
research.
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The University has particular applied research strengths in the fields of health and the built
environment and is rated among the top 10 in the UK for its allied health research and in the
top 20 in research in the built and natural environment.
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GCU student volunteers work with more than 7300 children and 2400 parents through the
award-winning Caledonian Club in Glasgow to help improve access to higher education. A
similar scheme operates at GCU London and will be introduced in New York
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GCU is a signatory to the United Nations PRME initiative (Principles for Responsible
Management Education) and is the first Scottish university to join the UN Global Compact,
the world’s largest voluntary corporate responsible management initiative.
For more information visit: www.gcunewyork.com