Nantucket Looms

Through warp and weft, master craftspeople are weaving a cozy legacy.

THE ELEGANT AND QUIET STOREFRONT of Nantucket Looms,  located on the store’s namesake island off the coast of Massachu-setts, belies the creative energy bustling within. While the first floor  displays the throws, scarves, and other handwoven goods for sale, the second floor houses the company’s weavers.
     Here, you’ll find four weavers creating anywhere from eight to sixteen items at a time, taking care to bring individuality to each piece on their loom. This dedication to beautifully made, hand- woven products is carrying on a tradition set by the company’s founders, Bill Euler and Andy Oates, nearly fifty years ago.
     In the early 1960s, Euler, a businessman, and Oates, an artist and master weaver, became involved with the Nantucket Historical Trust, who was looking for someone to help establish a weaving studio. At first, the NHT asked Oates to hand-weave textiles such as draperies and rugs for their own restoration project, but soon started to sell his creations commercially. In 1968, Euler and Oates assumed ownership and a new life began for Nantucket Looms.
     With weavers on location at their store, Euler and Oates  focused on an aesthetic they called “cottage-style.” Current  Nantucket Looms CEO Bess Clarke, who runs the business with long-time employees-turned-owners Rebecca Peraner and Stephanie Hall, defines the style as “always looking beautiful, elegant, and well-made, while always feeling comfortable and approachable.”
     The founding duo also expanded their inventory with locally made products such as pottery, paintings, and tapestries, helping to foster the burgeoning arts community on the island. The store now features products from over seventy area artists and craftsmen.
     In 1974, Clarke’s mother, Liz Winship, was hired on as a “shopgirl,” which proved to be a pivotal moment for the business. Though weaving was never her strength, Winship’s sense of style and friendly personality were invaluable. She eventually worked her way up to manager, and, in 1993, she took over ownership of the company and began carrying a selection of furniture and home ac-cessories. She worked closely with the shop’s loyal clientele, visiting people’s homes to help with interior design.
     Today, the shop’s employs four full-time interior designers, and offers dozens of sources for lighting, furniture, rugs, fabrics, and accessories—plus its yearly output of 2,500 or so woven pieces. It has become a staple of the island, attracting customers such as Princess Grace of Monaco and Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Its continued success, despite shifts in fashion and design, can be attributed to the company’s understanding of what makes their products  special. Obviously, they are beautifully and personally constructed, using materials such as alpaca wool, mohair, cashmere, cotton, and silk. But more importantly, they represent a way of life.
     “Any one of our hand-woven blankets is really special, as it will last for years and years. Each is handled by one weaver, and they’ll spend up to ten hours on it,” explains Clarke. She also notes that Nantucket Looms is as much about practicality as it is about style. The products they create, while pleasing to the eye, will not simply be displayed on a shelf. They are meant to be lived in.
     In this way, an item from Nantucket Looms becomes a part of life that can live on. Clarke, who grew up around the store, says that working there provides a unique situation: “It’s about supporting the local artist community and welcoming new and familiar faces every day in our store.” nantucketlooms.com.

Originally published in the Spring 2017 edition of The Coastal Table.