Dr. Martens - A/W-12: The Crafted Collection, With British Fabrics

The renowned craftsmanship, comfort and durability found within the Dr. Martens range have been honed and perfected over decades. Even so, with the AW12 Crafted selection, there has been a painstaking determination to improve how these silhouettes are created. With this in mind, a very elite selection of upper materials, especially sourced from the UK, have been chosen to increase the premium quality still further. All of the styles shown below are manufactured in Dr. Martens factory in Northamptonshire.

Lochcarron of Scotland Tartans

Tartan has been used since the 16th century in Scotland, often to signify a particular clan or family, and at one point was banned by the government in a doomed attempt to control several warring factions. This rebellious history has even periodically seen tartan championed by subcultures such as punks, but equally crucial to the woven cloth’s long-standing popularity is the high durability it offers. Tartan’s distinctive repeating blocks of pattern are used here on a Brogue Shoe and Brogue Boot and lift the upper with a subtle yet strong embellishment. There is a triple authenticity at work here: the Dr. Martens upper styles, the original black smooth leather and the rich history of the prestigious Lochcarron tartan, available in Stewart or Gordon Dress options.

Lochcarron of Scotland is a manufacturer of prestigious woven fabrics, exclusive knitwear, designed and manufactured in the Scottish Borders. A family-owned company established in 1947, Lochcarron builds on 60 years of tradition and craftsmanship and utilizes state of the art technology to constantly supply high quality innovative textiles. They weave and stock the world’s largest range of authentic Scottish tartans as well as designing many new families, corporate and fashion tartans.

Harris Tweed

The Harris Tweed cloth used on the styles shown below is hand-manufactured by a tiny band of artisan weavers in very small quantities. Historically associated with academics and the country life, some tweeds have nevertheless found themselves adopted by segments of Mod fashion and youth culture.

Harris Tweed is thorn-proof, warm and distinctive, while its rustic simplicity creates a very beautiful and age-less look. The sleeker last and feature linings accentuate the superior quality of the products, while the colored outsoles add subtle finishing touch to footwear that is all about heritage. A woven Harris Tweed label has been placed on the inside of these styles to add authenticity to this collection.

All cloth certified with the Harris Tweed Orb symbol is genuine Harris Tweed, the world’s only commercially produced hand-woven tweed. Harris Tweed is a tweed which has been hand-woven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the islands of Harris. Lewis, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra and is made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.