Annette Sopata

Annette Sopata

47

iain

English

Artisan

802

x x

current,58,6;

Scotland

Annette Sopata

TEXT

Netty moved to the Isle of Lewis in 2006 to take up a Kiltmaking Apprenticeship. After two years she started her own business and explored using locally woven Harris Tweed in her designs. This led to a number of commissions and displays including at Norton and Son’s, Saville Row and through this contemporary kilt production for fashion designer Christopher Kane. After fifteen years of working o na self-employed basis Netty strated to teach Fashion Design at the local height education college on a part-time basis. Since then she has continued her kiltmaking and garment design business but on a reduced scale, whilst also fulfilling the role as a board member with Applied Arts Scotland, project managing national and international craft focused projects and recently, becoming editor of community newsaper – Fios. An area Netty has developed over the past twenty years is usung the wool form her families flock of Hebridean Sheep to be washed, cardded and spun in to weaving yarn at Uist Wool. This yarn has then been woven in Harris Tweed by a local weaver .

AAS_PR_06

nettysopata@gmail.com

instagram,Diggory Brown ;

07881 273 966

fibre and textile crafts

Served a traditonal apprenticeship and then adapted the skills to develop Harris Tweed kilts. Harris Tweed is heavier then the tradiitonal tartan cloth used to make kilts.

Yes through evening classes at the lcoal arts centre.

Netty Sopata

female

incomer

Tradtional hand tailoring techniques applied to kilt making: Measurement, pleat calculations and chalking out, hand sewing and steam pressing.

Moved in 2006 to commence a Kiltmaking Apprenticeship in Stornoway

Harris Tweed. Leather (for straps) and brass / other metals for buckles.

Local Harris Tweed mills.

Donates them to local higher education college

Calking out (to mark the pleats and kilt pattern); Hand sewing (using a thimble); Steam pressing (to set the pleats)

Thimble, measuring tape (inches), pattern master (straight edge ruleer to mark out the pleats). Steam Iron and pressing table. Needle and scissors.

Tape and thimble belonged to her grandmother who was a hoe based seamstress in London.

Electricity for lighting and steam press. Peat for heating stove in studio.

Cut-away' segemnts of cloth are donated to the local college fro students to use in mood boards etc.

Yes. The upstairs area of her domestic house is a dedicated studio space.

Handtailored Kilts and contemproray garments

For people to wear

The kiltmaking service is no longer advertised and commissions are completed on a word of mouth basis only.

Bespoke one to one orders.

For kilts only yes

Locally based cliets fro repairs and alterations. Visitors to the Hebrides who have a connection to the location and/or want to have something created fro them that resonates with the location.

Harris Tweed label

Netty used to display work and take orders at the local music festival: HebCelt. This four day festival attracts the perfect target market for bepoke kilts. The tourists at this event are from a range of national and international locations.

An interview was not conducted.

Applied Arts Scotland.

Outwith the HebCelt festival, accessing physical events to display and take orders at was not cost efficient sdue to being located on an island.

An interview was not conducted.