Behind the scenes with Tania Henzell, Founder of Sherlock Holmes Tartan

The story behind Sherlock Holmes Tartan is quite unique. Unlike a traditional fashion brand, the idea developed from tales of a famous detective and deep-rooted family heritage.

Since the launch three years ago, Sherlock Holmes Tartan has become increasingly popular across the globe, with orders being sent to America, Asia, and everywhere in between.

From traditional Scottish attire, such as made-to-order tartan trews and kilts, to everyday accessories such as bookmarks, scarves, and brooches - each item is made from the beautifully crafted signature Sherlock Holmes Tartan.

In addition to her wealth of design experience from previous roles, managing director Tania Henzell’s family ties put her in a unique position, which allowed for the brand to be formed.

Today we take a look behind the scenes and find out more about the story of how the iconic brand was created.

What is your connection to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?

“I am his step great-great-granddaughter, as his youngest child Jean married my great grandfather and although they did not have any children together, my great grandfather had a daughter Pamela, from a previous marriage, who was my maternal grandmother

“My uncle, Richard Pooley, is director of the Conan Doyle estate and frequently supports the Sherlock Holmes Tartan marketing team with new and exciting blog content.”

What inspired you to design tartan?

“As a designer, I have worked with tartan for a very long time, and when I discovered that Sherlock Holmes would, in fact, be the first literary, fictional character to have a tartan named after him, I knew that I had to go ahead with the design of the tartan.

“Tartan has always been a passion of mine, and since I already knew a great deal about the fabric and the historical facts, I thought ‘why not design one for Sherlock Holmes and start my own business doing something that I love?’ So I did.”

What is the story behind your tartan?

“When deciding on the colour and the design of the tartan, my main inspiration was Conan Doyle and his heritage, but in the back of my mind, I knew that the tartan had to be fashionable.

“The design had to be both unisex and designed in a way that people could wear it every day. For this reason, I chose muted green and blue as base colours, which combines both Conan Doyle's Irish ancestry and his Scottish birthplace.

“The accents are influenced by Sherlock Holmes himself, with the thin ice blue stripe edged with soft brown symbolising the Reichenbach Falls where Moriarty sealed Holmes' fate, and the golden yellow stripe edged with green to show that Holmes was the top detective in London of his time.”

How did you get started?

“Having decided on the colour scheme, I began working with House of Edgar in Perth, who brought my vision to life.

“The next step was registering as an official tartan with the Scottish Tartan Authority. There are two key requirements for becoming a registered tartan; that your tartan has a story and that it is unique. I already had a great story, and thankfully the STA confirmed that my design was like no other.

“Once I had my fabric, I then moved on to the design and manufacturing. Although I design all of my products, and manufacture the smaller, hand-crafted items, to keep up with the level of demand, I’ve had to outsource some of the bigger and bespoke items.

“As a start-up company creating unique products, it’s difficult to source prototypes at a low cost. Quality is fundamental when it comes to our products, as we are seen as a premium brand, therefore the correct manufacturers were key to our success.

“After in-depth research into the market, I began working with Ingles Buchan in Glasgow who manufacture the costumes for Outlander, to create my men’s accessories; Mr Antony who handcrafts raincoats for Scottish Pipers to make my Inverness capes, and tailors in Edinburgh to make my made-to-measure tartan trews. As you can see, we really are a traditional Scottish company, with our heritage at the heart of everything we do.”

What do you enjoy most about your job?

“I just adore the history behind it and feel a real sense of pride that I’m connected to such a tremendous writer, whose stories are still relevant years after they were first published. Sherlock Holmes has an enormous following across the world, and I love hearing from those true Sherlockians who have fallen in love with my products.

Another thing that I love is having the freedom to create new designs and work with alternative materials. I’ve introduced Harris Tweed in some of my more recent designs, as its subdued tones and high-quality finish complement the Sherlock Holmes Tartan well.

“My next endeavour is to introduce a lighter fabric such as cotton to the portfolio. Some of my most regular customers are based in the US, who unlike the customers in Scotland, are regularly exposed to warm weather, which limits them to wearing a lighter fabric.”

Do you have a favourite Sherlock Holmes book or quote?

“The books are all so different so it’s difficult to choose just one. I like the Hound of Baskervilles, and I enjoy reading Silver Blade because of my interest in horses.

“My favourite quote has to be, “When you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however improbable must be the truth”, as I feel it brings perspective when I’m solving problems at work, or even in life.”