With its Highland roots and rugged charm, tartan has that ability to transcend fashion, traditional and modern in every era as I'm reminded by the countless references I've collected over the years.
I love weaving tartan into my collections, whether it’s a yarn-dyed Black Watch linen or a cosy boucle wool. It always brings back memories - school kilts, Scottish shortbread, the lining of my childhood duffel coat. Tartan always features in my wardrobe combining traditional elegance with a touch of eccentricity. In our luxury linens, it's a pattern that you can wear all year round too.
The simplest description of a tartan comes from the Gaelic word breacan meaning chequered.
Tartan has been noted by travellers to Scotland, where it has been worn for centuries by its inhabitants. It has always been a favourite with the Royal family and one of the earliest references to the use of tartans was by the treasurer to King James the third, who in 1471, purchased a length of tartan cloth for the King and Queen.
A tartan jacket worn by Bonnie Prince Charlie during the Jacobite rebellions
Antique photograph of two girls in Highland dance tartan.
Tartan a fabric designed by tradition. Pre-dyed yarns are woven in a warp and weft to create distinctive blocks of colour, and a unique visual pattern when the differing colours intersect. The resulting colour and pattern carry with it deep history and pride.
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I've had a bit of fun here, adding some of my 'Scottish inspiration' alongside collections...
Tradition has it that those who have no tartan of their own can wear the Black Watch, the Universal Tartan.
Fun fact! I used to design for Laura Ashley and whist I was there Princess Diana used to have secret visits to the Kensington shop and bought from the collection that I worked on! She always loved tartan!
Crafted with love and care, our entire tartan collection draws inspiration from Scotland, many of them made up in linens woven in Ireland, and all are sewn up in England - let’s say a true celebration of the British Isles!
