Meet the Maker: Siobhan Mackenzie

Siobhan Mackenzie is a trailblazer in her craft.

In 2014, just five days after graduating from university, Siobhan founded her own fashion label, combining traditional tartan craftsmanship with innovative design. While championing a Made in Scotland ethos, she has created a distinctive and recognizable aesthetic.

From dressing celebrities to designing the official Team Scotland Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony uniforms, Siobhan’s work is admired in Scotland and all around the world.

…which is why we know we had to collaborate with her to create Cask Trade’s newly registered tartan!

Join us as we dive into conversation with Siobhan, exploring her unique craft in tartan and fashion, her journey into the industry, and how she has navigated balancing tradition and modernity in such a heritage steeped industry.

Keira Watkins: Before launching your own label, how did you perceive the world of tartan and Scottish fashion? 

Siobhan Mackenzie: "As a kid, I remember my dad wearing his kilt to special occasions and there's pictures of my sister and I in little kilts when we were young. It's ingrained into family culture and upbringing in Scotland, especially at parties and celebrations - something that I just fondly remember as always being a part of my life.

Prior to starting my label, I always noticed when leading global brands like Chanel, Hermes, and Burberry would use Scottish textiles, but there wasn't really a mass of Scottish designers emerging. For me, I felt the question was that if we have all this heritage on our doorstep, and its good enough for world leading brands, then why are we not creating more pieces here in Scotland?

That was very much the driver behind going out on my own and doing my own thing. I initially thought that to succeed in fashion I would need to move to London or Paris or New York, but I’m a proud Highlander through and through so I thought, why not?"

 
KW: Did you feel that there was space for new and modern voices in the intersection of fashion and tartan? Or rather, was there a need for emerging voices and visions?  

SM: "When I first started, I looked at real data and research about traditional tartan garment sales declining with younger people especially, so there seemed to be opportunity in the industry to make my own mark. 

For me, I love traditional tartan and kilts - there will always be a place for that and  I'm never trying to take away those roots. I trained in kilt making when I was a fashion student so my products are still made in a way that fully respects the original craft and still uses traditional techniques. You can honour and love the traditional styles whilst injecting modernity into innovative designs. There is a market for both."

KW: Were there particular people, designers or experiences that encouraged you to pursue your own approach? 

SM: "At school, I always used to write about two designers: Vivienne Westwood and Chanel. 

With Vivienne Westwood, funnily enough, it wasn't because of the tartan - I had no idea at the time that I'd end up working with tartan myself. What really inspired me was her attitude. She didn't seem to care what other people thought of her, and she wasn't afraid to take risks or challenge the norm. 

There’s that famous TV interview where people were laughing at her designs, but she kept pushing forward. As a designer, I think you have to be willing to take those kinds of risks and try different things if you want to carve out your own niche and develop a distinctive style. 

So my inspiration came more from her approach to design than from any specific aesthetic. It just happens that I've ended up working with tartan as well. More than anything, I was inspired by her energy and her refusal to conform to what fashion was expected to be."

KW: People outside of Scotland often have a fixed idea of what ‘Scottishness’ looks like: tartan, whisky, rolling landscapes. Do you think Scotland itself still strongly identifies with those traditional symbols, or is the reality becoming more layered and modern? 

SM: "There's so much more to Scotland than the perceived image. Obviously, industries such as shortbread, whisky and tartan are fantastic for Scotland - they're all great economic drivers and I think people are incredibly proud of those things, but there's a lot more depth to Scotland as well. 

Tartan is globally recognised and I feel we're really lucky to call that ours. It's such a beautiful textile, and it's used on catwalks around the world season after season. Sometimes those brands have no affiliation with Scotland at all, so I think it's really lovely not only to own it, but to be the guardian of that heritage. 

At the same time, there's room to innovate and do different things with traditional garments. There's a contemporary Scotland as well, and that exists across food and drink, textiles, and other creative industries. While those traditional industries will always be there, there are always people finding new ways to innovate within them too."

KW: Tartan carries centuries of clan, military and ceremonial association - imagery that has historically been overwhelmingly male. What has it meant for you to step into that tradition and shape your own voice within it? 

SM: "As a woman, I think it's actually been to my advantage because it's given my brand a unique point of difference. With the stereotypes that exist around the industry, people often assume it's older men making kilts and that young women wouldn't be involved in that world.

I started with a kilt-making internship when I was 20 as part of my degree, and I think it's been about breaking those stereotypes and showing that women can be interested in these things too. That's been a really positive part of my brand. People seem to connect with the fact that I'm a woman entering what is perceived to be a male-dominated field and doing things in my own way."

    
KW: In your work, how do you approach balancing respect for tradition with the desire to reinterpret it for a contemporary audience? 

SM: "For me, a key part of why it's worked is that I did that internship and learned the traditional manufacturing techniques. I understood how each piece was made and how everything came together. 

A huge part of my fashion degree was being encouraged to understand the end-to-end process, because when you know how something is made, you can design it much better. Having that knowledge allows you to create with a clear understanding of the finished piece. 

I think it's that combination of modern design thinking and a genuine understanding of the craft itself. Rather than going into it blindly and saying, "I want to change this," having that foundational knowledge has been integral to why the business has succeeded. 

You can get it very wrong, and I could have got it very wrong. Starting a business at 21 and doing anything that involved changing perceptions of the kilt was definitely playing with fire. I probably did upset some people, particularly those with a very traditional view of what a kilt should be. But thankfully there was also a positive reaction, and over time it's built its own niche. People seem to appreciate having an individual take on something that is deeply traditional."

KW: This collaboration brings together fashion, whisky and craftsmanship through a distinctly modern Scottish lens. What interested you about being part of a project like this? 

SM: "For me, there’s a lot of synergy between my brand and what Cask Trade is doing. It’s something different and innovative within a very traditional industry, and I really like that alignment. I felt it was a great fit for my brand to work with Cask Trade, particularly as this is my first whisky bottle design. 

When I take on these kinds of projects, it had to be with the right partner, the right kind of design, and importantly, the right sentiment. I’m really happy with this collaboration and how all of those elements have come together."

 
KW: The people reshaping some of Scotland’s most iconic industries are increasingly women. Has that shift changed the creative or cultural conversations happening within fashion and design, in your experience? 

SM: "I would certainly hope so. When I started my business, I joined an entrepreneurial accelerator programme and one of the statistics that really stayed with me was that women in Scotland were 50% less likely to start a business than men. 

I hope that has changed over the last decade and that more women feel inspired and encouraged to start businesses of their own. When I launched my brand, I was 21 and just five days out of university, and I wasn't always taken seriously as a young woman wanting to build a fashion business. 

I still think we have a long way to go when it comes to equal opportunities and being treated equally. But I do hope more women feel empowered to do their own thing and to enter industries that have traditionally been associated with men."

KW: What do you wish more people understood about the cultural and creative potential of tartan today? 

SM: "I think tartan has endless potential. As I mentioned, you see it on catwalks around the world season after season. It never really goes out of style, and there's a real longevity to it. 

You can take a tartan piece out of your wardrobe ten years later and it can still feel relevant and fashionable. Scottish textiles are also incredibly durable. They're natural, sustainable fabrics that are made to last. 

One thing I do wish more people understood is that there are a lot of misconceptions around who can wear certain tartans because of the clan system. Historically, people simply wore whatever fabric they could access because they needed something warm and practical. So there isn't a tartan police force waiting to tell people what they can and can't wear. If you love a tartan, you should feel able to wear it."
 

KW: When you look at the future of Scottish design and craftsmanship, what excites you most about the direction it’s heading in? 

SM: "What excites me most is seeing younger Scottish designers starting businesses of their own. That's really encouraging to see. 

At the same time, I think there's still a significant gap in support for creative businesses in Scotland. I hope that changes, because while it's fantastic to see people wanting to start brands and creative ventures, they also need the infrastructure and support to help them grow and flourish. 

I'm optimistic about the talent that's emerging. I just hope the support systems continue to develop alongside it."

Learn more about the Cask Trade Tartan and limited edition bottling here.