Highgrove and The King's Foundation have collaborated with Johnstons of Elgin to create ‘The Highgrove Heritage Scarf.’ Inspired by The Campaign for Wool’s 10th Anniversary Scarf, which was conceived by His Majesty The King. The Highgrove Heritage Scarf’ launched in early October in time for The Campaign for Wool’s 11th anniversary and coincided with the London Craft Week where it had its debut. Sustainably sourced with complete wool traceability, the Heritage Scarf is made from 100% ultrafine RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) merino wool. The design takes the form of the iconic Prince of Wales check, which has been woven over an enlarged Shepherd check. The Shepherd check was originally coloured from undyed wool using a colour palette of black, dark browns and whites. From the initial wool clip, it is woven into shawls which were then worn by the Border shepherds. The next of the original checks to be designed was the Prince of Wales, invented by King Edward VII while spending time in Scotland, where he held the title Prince of Wales. Both designs have been incorporated into this modern interpretation, along with the introduction of a warm honey colour inspired by the Highgrove Gardens and a bee emblem that has been part of the Johnstons of Elgin company since the 1930s. The bee represents the mills' busy workforce, which currently stands at 1,000 people. From apprentices to artisans and innovators, all have been honing these rare textile skills for over 40 years.
