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| CIA agents look better in Harris tweed: how Argo revived a Scottish classic | CIA agents look better in Harris tweed: how Argo revived a Scottish classic |
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| He was awarded a medal for his work as a CIA agent. He was feted at this year's Oscars. And this week he received another honour, but from a less conventional source – Scotland's Harris tweed industry. | He was awarded a medal for his work as a CIA agent. He was feted at this year's Oscars. And this week he received another honour, but from a less conventional source – Scotland's Harris tweed industry. |
| Tony Mendez, the CIA master of disguise played by Ben Affleck in the Oscar-winning movie Argo, was honoured at a lunch in New York organised by the Harris tweed industry, delighted by the promotion their clothing received in the film. | Tony Mendez, the CIA master of disguise played by Ben Affleck in the Oscar-winning movie Argo, was honoured at a lunch in New York organised by the Harris tweed industry, delighted by the promotion their clothing received in the film. |
| In an interview with the Guardian, Mendez spoke about the previously unknown role of the cloth in the world of US spies during the cold war years. | In an interview with the Guardian, Mendez spoke about the previously unknown role of the cloth in the world of US spies during the cold war years. |
| Affleck wore a Harris tweed jacket during the movie, dusting down its somewhat stuffy image. But Mendez disclosed that not only had he worn a Harris tweed jacket during his covert trip to Tehran in 1979, to help six US diplomats caught up in the embassy siege escape, but that the tweed was the de rigeur for CIA agents at the time and throughout most of the cold war. | |
| Mendez said when Affleck, who directed the movie, was making preparations, one of his staff phoned him to ask what he had worn in Tehran. He said a Harris tweed jacket, slacks and a pair of cordovan shoes with wingtips. | Mendez said when Affleck, who directed the movie, was making preparations, one of his staff phoned him to ask what he had worn in Tehran. He said a Harris tweed jacket, slacks and a pair of cordovan shoes with wingtips. |
| "That was our uniform," Mendez said. "The jackets were representative of our group. Those of us in the CIA who did overseas work, work in the field. If you were in the field during the Blitz, you wore a trench coat. If you were tracking Ivan [the Soviet Union and its allies], you had Harris tweed." | "That was our uniform," Mendez said. "The jackets were representative of our group. Those of us in the CIA who did overseas work, work in the field. If you were in the field during the Blitz, you wore a trench coat. If you were tracking Ivan [the Soviet Union and its allies], you had Harris tweed." |
| The New York lunch was to help launch a new website, Need for Tweed, a collaboration between Harris Tweed Hebrides, a major producer of Harris tweed, and the Leo Burnett advertising agency. The site celebrates the history of the cloth in North America and its recently rediscovered fashionable status. | |
| Harris tweed, produced in the Outer Hebrides, is enjoying a revival after a long period of decline. But it has still to recover the popularity it once enjoyed in the US. | Harris tweed, produced in the Outer Hebrides, is enjoying a revival after a long period of decline. But it has still to recover the popularity it once enjoyed in the US. |
| Brian Wilson, the former UK trade minister who chairs Harris Tweed Hebrides, said: "Argo is the perfect link. Tony represents an era when every well-dressed American had Harris tweed in his closet, while Ben Affleck confirms why that would again be a great idea. | |
| "By telling the story and honouring Tony, we hope everyone who sees Argo will be more likely to say: 'That's a great Harris tweed jacket Ben Affleck is wearing. I want one of them'." | |
| Mendez, who retired from the CIA in 1990 after a career of 25 years that took him not only to Iran but Russia, Vietnam and elsewhere, recalled that when preparations for the movie were under way, he was phoned by one of Affleck's staff asking what he had worn in 1979. His wife Jonna, a former CIA officer, took the call and was appalled at the idea that anyone might have held onto clothes that long. | Mendez, who retired from the CIA in 1990 after a career of 25 years that took him not only to Iran but Russia, Vietnam and elsewhere, recalled that when preparations for the movie were under way, he was phoned by one of Affleck's staff asking what he had worn in 1979. His wife Jonna, a former CIA officer, took the call and was appalled at the idea that anyone might have held onto clothes that long. |
| She said: "I threw them out. He [Tony] raised his hands and said: 'No, they are in the garage'." They sent over the clothes for replicas to be made. | She said: "I threw them out. He [Tony] raised his hands and said: 'No, they are in the garage'." They sent over the clothes for replicas to be made. |
| Mendez said that the CIA recently commemorated the operation by hanging at their headquarters in Langley a specially-commissioned portrait of Mendez and a CIA agent based in Tehran at the time, known as 'Julio', both in uniform Harris tweed jackets. | Mendez said that the CIA recently commemorated the operation by hanging at their headquarters in Langley a specially-commissioned portrait of Mendez and a CIA agent based in Tehran at the time, known as 'Julio', both in uniform Harris tweed jackets. |
| Mendez has four Harris tweed jackets and was presented with a new one at the lunch. | |
| For most of his life, Mendez was anonymous. Even the award of the Intelligence Star was classified. But since the Oscars he has become more visible. "It is very unsettling for me. A lot of people recognise me in the street," he said. | For most of his life, Mendez was anonymous. Even the award of the Intelligence Star was classified. But since the Oscars he has become more visible. "It is very unsettling for me. A lot of people recognise me in the street," he said. |
| When Argo was released last year, there were gripes by former British diplomats about a line suggesting the British embassy in Tehran had denied sanctuary to the six escaping US diplomats who sought sanctuary in the Canadian embassy instead. In fact, the British embassy did help. | When Argo was released last year, there were gripes by former British diplomats about a line suggesting the British embassy in Tehran had denied sanctuary to the six escaping US diplomats who sought sanctuary in the Canadian embassy instead. In fact, the British embassy did help. |
| Mendez said: "We keep explaining that this not a history book. You [Brits] have to get over it." | Mendez said: "We keep explaining that this not a history book. You [Brits] have to get over it." |