Hanging by a Thread

The Harris Tweed industry is recovering slowly.

Textile tycoon Brian Haggas left the island and is still trying to sell tens of thousands of jackets. The two small mills have stepped into the breach to make all the Harris Tweed and are unexpectedly working flat out - it seems there is a real market for Harris Tweed after all.

The small mills want to market their tweed, but how? Shawbost Mill send their star designer Deryck Walker to Japan to consult with a marketing guru. Is his new clothing - traditional yet edgily modern - on the right track? At the smaller Carloway Mill, Scottish-American owner Alan Bain wants to tinker with the very DNA of the tweed, softening it and even considering adding cashmere. But is he committing tweed heresy?

The Harris Tweed Authority will try to stop him. They are charged with defending the cloth and the famous orb trademark from all corners, and chief executive Lorna McCaulay is deluged with examples of counterfeit tweed, and even a pop group who want to name themselves after the stuff.

The film ends with the stark conclusion that, despite the success of the small mills, unless Haggas reopens his mill and undertakes to make large amounts of tweed, Harris Tweed will never get back to where it was. Will he change and adapt his firm views to help Harris Tweed succeed?