I started my business at 21, teachers said I would fail, but Shania Twain is a fan

Award-winning Scottish designer Siobhan Mackenzie has always dreamed of making it in the fashion world.

At 13, she saved her money to buy her first sewing machine and despite her teachers telling her she couldn’t do it, Siobhan defied the odds and is now one of the country’s top designers.

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Today, her looks have been worn by global superstars like pop star Justin Bieber, musician and actor Jared Leto, and most recently, the Queen of Country Pop herself, Shania Twain.

The iconic country singer wore one of Siobhan’s designs when performing at the inaugural Stirling Summer Sessions festival, which took place in front of the city’s historic Stirling Castle at the end of last month.

The designer, who was born on the Black Isle in the Highlands, knew she wanted to dress the icon after seeing a stunning leopard print fabric. She looked for the singer’s manager, who was also Scottish.

She said: “I managed to get in touch with him and when he called me I discovered he was Scottish.

“Then immediately there was a great Scottish affinity, you know, we like to help each other, Scots. He presented my work to her and she wanted to use it.

“Then I added some Swarovski crystals too so that when the stage lights came on, everything sparkled. It was amazing to see her in it.”

Trendsetter Siobhan designed a complete ensemble, including a sparkly corset and tulle sleeves to match her half-tartan, half-leopard print miniskirt, but in classic Scottish style, the outdoor weather turned chilly and the country singer had to pack instead, wear a chic black turtleneck sweater.

The 31-year-old designer explained how special it was to go to the show with her mother and see a big star, who she grew up listening to, wearing one of her pieces.

She said: “It was my mum’s birthday present so we already had tickets. It was really the icing on the cake to see Shania in my brand and to be able to experience this with my mother.

“My mother started crying when she left, she was very proud. It was really good, a very special moment to share with her.”

She continued: “I feel like I grew up hearing her songs playing at every family party.

“I’m from a really big family, my aunt used to have New Year’s parties and I just feel like the soundtrack was Shania Twain songs. So I feel like it’s really nostalgic.”

The country hitmaker took to Instagram and praised the “talented” designer to her 2.5 million followers.

Shania posted a photo of herself wearing the contemporary kilt on stage with the caption: “Scotland, that was amazing!

“Playing in front of Stirling Castle, which is over 800 years old, was quite magical and I had to mark the occasion of course – an iconic kilt for an iconic setting!! Tartan meets leopard print. Made by the talented @siobhan_mackenzie.”

Skilled fashion designer Siobhan said while it’s amazing to see mega stars like Twain and Bieber wearing her contemporary tartan designs, inspired by the Clan Mackenzie, she would love to see Scotland excel in the fashion industry.

She commented: “My thinking is that all the biggest brands in the world buy their textiles from Scotland.

“Chanel, Burberry, Hermes. We supply Scottish textiles to world-leading brands. My ethos has always been, well, why can’t we create them in Scotland?”

Growing up in the Highlands, Siobhan says how she was always very introverted, rarely being seen without her sketchpad in hand.

She said: “I was always drawing, I was a more introverted child. I was always happy drawing in a corner somewhere, and it was always clothes that I drew.”

At age ten she decided to become a fashion designer, at 13 she had saved up to buy her first sewing machine and was getting extra help learning to sew from a supportive home economics teacher.

I was really desperate to pursue my dream of being a fashion designer and I knew what I needed to get into university or college and I really wasn’t going to let anything get in my way.

Siobhan Mackenzie

The designer said: “It wasn’t something that was on the CV. She just wanted to support my dreams.

“She was probably the only teacher who really supported me at school, because I actually wasn’t doing well during exam years.”

Due to illness, Siobhan spent time in hospital and missed school. Teachers told her she would never achieve her dream of becoming a fashion designer or even getting into college or university, but the support from her home economics teacher made all the difference.

She continued: “She was really there for me. I probably would have left school without her support.

“I would go to her classroom and cry when people and other teachers were horrible to me.

‘I was really desperate to pursue my dream of being a fashion designer and I knew what I needed to get into university or college and I really wasn’t going to let anything get in my way.’

Despite being told she would never achieve her dream career, Siobhan studied at home and in hospital to avoid falling behind and failing her exams.

In 2014, Mackenzie proved those who doubted her wrong as just five days after graduating with a first class BA in Fashion Design and Production, she launched her own brand made by yourself – at just 21 years old.

In the ten years since launching her brand, she has worked with Caorunn Gin, LVMH group and even designed more than 400 outfits for Team Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

Preparing her country’s athletes for the games and being named the best dressed country at the opening ceremony was one of the highlights of her career, she told The Scottish Sun.

She said: “When I saw them enter the stadium, that moment stopped time and the hairs on my arms stood up. It was incredible. It’s really hard to put into words.

“People ask me about celebrities I’ve dressed, but that for me is just my proudest moment. Having the honor of designing for the entire country, I don’t think there’s a word for it.

“It’s really spectacular and a real privilege to be able to do this and have that trust placed in you as a designer.”

The sky’s the limit for the Scottish designer and she’s got her sights set on another famous country singer.

She said: “I really want to dress Taylor Swift. I think she would look really cute in something plaid and shiny.”

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