Here at the Galway Designer’s Network, we would like you all to get to know our designers a little better. This is the final installment in a series of blog posts relating to the designers who will be taking part in the upcoming A/W’17 Showcase in Tribeton on September 9th. Keep an eye out on the blog and on our social media channels over the next week and get to know our designers before the Big Day.
Ailish will be taking part in the GDN A/W Showcase on September 9th in Tribeton. There will be 3 individual showcases throughout the day:
Jewellery Design at 2pm
Millinery at 4pm
Clothing Design at 6pm.
Tickets for individual shows are priced at €15, or grab yourself a bundle ticket for €35 and spend the day in Tribeton, where you can enjoy 20% off all food all day or shop the Pop Up Market featuring all of the designers collections. Your ticket will entitle you to a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag specific to the show and a front row seat. If you want to get your hands on a ticket, go online via eventbrite.ie or head directly to Tribeton. There will also be a limited amount of standing tickets available for each show, but you must register your interest via eventbrite.ie prior to September 9th.
***
The Galway Designers Network is a group of talented designers looking to create exciting clothing and accessories to ensure you can support your local fashion industry and keep up to date with the latest fashion looks and we are looking to make our own mark in the fashion retail sector. Our current project the Galway Designers Studio House has been established by Ann Petrov of Cozy Handmade Designs and Gayle Poppers of Kizmet Clothing but they need your help to make their dream a reality. Follow the Galway Designers Studio House Facebook Page to read all about the project and how you can take part.
The Galway Designers Network are always looking for new and exciting designers or anyone who feels they would love to be involved. Get in touch by commenting below, via Facebook @galwaydesignersnetwork, via Instagram @galway_designersnetwork or email galwayfashionshowcase@gmail.com.
Here at the Galway Designer’s Network, we would like you all to get to know our designers a little better. This is the twelfth installment in a series of blog posts relating to the designers who will be taking part in the upcoming A/W’17 Showcase in Tribeton on September 9th. Keep an eye out on the blog and on our social media channels over the next week and get to know our designers before the Big Day.
Based in Ballyglunin, Tuam, Co Galway, I design and made bespoke headwear in using a variety of techniques and textiles.
Mick Russell Photography
What sparked your interest with millinery?
Always had an interest in fashion and design, and in particular millinery since I saw Philip Tracy’s black ship headpiece a number of years ago.
Timothée Cognard Photography
Are you self taught or did you study fashion design?
Studied in Lina Stein’s International School of Millinery in Westport over the past few years, and also did a number of classes with internationally renowned milliners.
Mick Russell Photography
What made you take your talent more seriously and want make a career out of it?
Friends and family gave me the confidence to make a career out of it.
Aay Kay Photography
What is your aesthetic?
Primarily contemporary but this is evolving, and of course when working with a client, I aim to help them meet their style objectives.
Mick Russell Photography
What inspired this collection?
This is my first collection and prices shown represent a number of styles and techniques. Dashes of colour fascinate me and are reflected in a number if my pieces.
Timothée Cognard Photography
How has your work evolved since you began your own label?
Expanded range of styles and techniques, and exploring my creative side.
Mick Russell Photography
What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?
Allowing time for the business side as well as the design side.
Aay Kay Photography
Describe your creative process.
When working with a client, I like to understand them and to ensure that the final headpiece really reflects them and their style.
Mick Russell Photography
How do you get unstuck creatively?
Go outside for a quick walk or do some cooking.
Timothée Cognard Photography
What questions do you ask yourself before you begin any design project?
What style suits the person, how will they wear it, hair up or down, outfit colour, shoes and bag, preference for headband or elastic etc.
Mick Russell Photography
How do you stay organized when trying to design and create while balancing family or other work related responsibilities?
Try to fix my working hours.
Timothée Cognard Photography
How do you feel about the current state if the fashion industry?
There is a lot of fast fashion; I love the idea of people using local designers to get the outfit they want, properly fitted garments made to make everyone look fabulous.
Mick Russell Photography
Where do you see your brand expanding to?
Expanding into different accessories and international markets.
Marie will be taking part in the GDN A/W Showcase on September 9th in Tribeton. There will be 3 individual showcases throughout the day:
Jewellery Design at 2pm
Millinery at 4pm
Clothing Design at 6pm.
Tickets for individual shows are priced at €15, or grab yourself a bundle ticket for €35 and spend the day in Tribeton, where you can enjoy 20% off all food all day or shop the Pop Up Market featuring all of the designers collections. Your ticket will entitle you to a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag specific to the show and a front row seat. If you want to get your hands on a ticket, go online via eventbrite.ie or head directly to Tribeton. There will also be a limited amount of standing tickets available for each show, but you must register your interest via eventbrite.ie prior to September 9th.
***
The Galway Designers Network is a group of talented designers looking to create exciting clothing and accessories to ensure you can support your local fashion industry and keep up to date with the latest fashion looks and we are looking to make our own mark in the fashion retail sector. Our current project the Galway Designers Studio House has been established by Ann Petrov of Cozy Handmade Designs and Gayle Poppers of Kizmet Clothing but they need your help to make their dream a reality. Follow the Galway Designers Studio House Facebook Page to read all about the project and how you can take part.
The Galway Designers Network are always looking for new and exciting designers or anyone who feels they would love to be involved. Get in touch by commenting below, via Facebook @galwaydesignersnetwork, via Instagram @galway_designersnetwork or email galwayfashionshowcase@gmail.com.
Here at the Galway Designer’s Network, we would like you all to get to know our designers a little better. This is the tenth installment in a series of blog posts relating to the designers who will be taking part in the upcoming A/W’17 Showcase in Tribeton on September 9th. Keep an eye out on the blog and on our social media channels over the next week and get to know our designers before the Big Day.
I am Ailish McElroy and I am a Milliner based in Bodyke, Co. Clare.
Timothée Cognard Photography
What sparked your interest with millinery?
I was a Graphic Designer for many years so I always had an appreciation for colour, texture, shape and pattern in the composition of an image. I think what attracted me to Millinery was the chance to create away from the computer but to apply the same key elements in the creation of a finished headpiece using traditional hands on skills.
Timothée Cognard Photography
Are you self taught or did you study fashion design?
I have a Masters in Digital Media & Communications. At the beginning I was self taught until I reached a point where I wanted to progress my skills further. I then interned with Award Winning Milliner Margaret O’Connor in London. There is always so much to learn in Millinery and that fascinates me and challenges me in equal measure.
Mick Russell Photography
What made you take your talent more seriously and want make a career out of it?
It wasn’t really a conscious decision, I was just constantly lost in the creative process. It seemed to evolve into a career as people began to inquire if they could commission headpieces from me. Suddenly I had deadlines to keep. I started prioritizing my work load and before I knew it I had to make a choice between my job as a Graphic Designer or to change careers and become a Milliner. I decided to take the leap and go for it.
Mick Russell Photography
What is your aesthetic?
My pieces are feminine and beautifully embellished with a nod to vintage influences using luxurious materials, trims, feathers and beading.
What inspired this collection?
A skirt I bought in a shop in Lithuania inspired this collection. Something about the bold primary colours and pattern in the skirt sparked so many images in my mind every time I looked at it. I wanted to reflect that celebration of colour in this collection. I am also drawn to religious iconography and Gothic imagery in particular is a source of fascination for me. It represents romance, mystery and dark femininity.
Paul Cooley Photography
How has your work evolved since you began your own label?
My skills have evolved through experience, practice and constant learning. However, my designs evolve to accentuate the best attributes of my wearer and their outfit. Experience in working with clients has enabled me to create a process that streamlines my work from initial design concept to the completion of a finished headpiece while trying to create a harmony between new emerging trends and the traditional styles.
Paul Cooley Photography
What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?
You need to believe in yourself and aim to be pro-active and professional not only in the skill of Millinery but with your Brand. Prioritising my workload clarifies my mind and allows the creative process to flow. It is also a constant challenge!
Paul Cooley Photography
Describe your creative process.
It begins with the outfit that makes its way into my workshop. I also take into account my client and what I think would suit them best. Then I begin to source my materials. Sometimes the nature of the materials will influence the design as they won’t always obey my demands! Then I begin to get lost in the process of creation, experimenting, accepting and rejecting ideas as I go along until I get the perfect symmetry.
Paul Cooley Photography
How do you get unstuck creatively?
The first port of call is a cup of coffee just for a breather. I might also try to work on something else for a while, maybe just do some basic tasks or tidy my workshop. If that doesn’t work I try to get out of my workshop and go for a long walk or a run. Enjoying the nature around me calms my mind and I love taking photographs of what I see. It helps me to start thinking and working creatively again. I also enjoy looking at paintings and photography which can really spark my imagination. Also, sometimes things occur to me just be studying the materials that I am using for a particular headpiece and this might dictate the direction I take with a design.
Paul Cooley Photography
What questions do you ask yourself before you begin any design project?
What will suit my client? What is the time frame? Do I have the materials required and if not, do I have time to order the materials?
How do you stay organized when trying to design and create while balancing family or other work related responsibilities?
It’s hard to find the right balance as I work from home and I have young children. My work is very unpredictable and my deadlines change constantly. My phone could ring at any moment with a customer looking for an appointment. I keep a detailed diary where I schedule appointments. I would be lost without my Big Black Book!
How do you feel about the current state of the fashion industry?
We need to sit up and pay attention to the massively untapped potential of the Irish Fashion Industry and how lucrative it could be to our economy. I would like to see something akin to the British Fashion Council being set up here which would solely serve the industry by seeking out new emerging talent and supporting them. There is so much more we could be doing in this country to celebrate and support our Irish Designers and helping to pave the way to a strong Irish fashion industry. Why is it our best designers have to go abroad to develop their careers? Ireland has lost out on laying claim to the rise of some great talents and we continue to lose many of our best design graduates to emigration.
Where do you see your brand expanding to?
I will continue to expand on the foundation I have built over the last 3 years so that I can offer my customers more options and continue to provide excellent customer service. My dream would be to open a centre for designers in East Clare where we could work and sell our designs, however I think it’s important to build your brand one step at a time and to set realistic goals as expansion takes time, research and money.
What advice would you give to young designers?
Turning your passion into a career requires motivation. Be pro-active and take a step every day that gets you nearer your goal. There will be tough days where you may not be able to design. Instead use those days wisely to do some marketing, photograph your work or do some networking. Value your work and learn to recognise an opportunity when it arises.
Ailish will be taking part in the GDN A/W Showcase on September 9th in Tribeton. There will be 3 individual showcases throughout the day:
Jewellery Design at 2pm
Millinery at 4pm
Clothing Design at 6pm.
Tickets for individual shows are priced at €15, or grab yourself a bundle ticket for €35 and spend the day in Tribeton, where you can enjoy 20% off all food all day or shop the Pop Up Market featuring all of the designers collections. Your ticket will entitle you to a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag specific to the show and a front row seat. If you want to get your hands on a ticket, go online via eventbrite.ie or head directly to Tribeton. There will also be a limited amount of standing tickets available for each show, but you must register your interest via eventbrite.ie prior to September 9th.
***
The Galway Designers Network is a group of talented designers looking to create exciting clothing and accessories to ensure you can support your local fashion industry and keep up to date with the latest fashion looks and we are looking to make our own mark in the fashion retail sector. Our current project the Galway Designers Studio House has been established by Ann Petrov of Cozy Handmade Designs and Gayle Poppers of Kizmet Clothing but they need your help to make their dream a reality. Follow the Galway Designers Studio HouseFacebook Page to read all about the project and how you can take part.
Here at the Galway Designer’s Network, we would like you all to get to know our designers a little better. This is the ninth installment in a series of blog posts relating to the designers who will be taking part in the upcoming A/W’17 Showcase in Tribeton on September 9th. Keep an eye out on the blog and on our social media channels over the next week and get to know our designers before the Big Day.
What sparked your interest with fashion & millinery?
My fashion interest was sparked by my mum who was a fashion designer. I had the privilege of working and running errands for her as a young girl, from passing her the threads to taking down of her client’s measurements. I would make dresses with papers and head wraps to match. I became more interested after I came to Ireland years ago and couldn’t get anyone to make my outfits, so I decided to get myself a sewing machine to make most of my outfits till date.
Mick Russell Photography
Are you self taught or did you study fashion design?
Being around my mum as a young girl really helped me learn the basics skills I need for today in fashion and designing. I never really studied fashion designing as a course.
Mick Russell Photography
What made you take your talent more seriously and want make a career out of it?
I’ve always been a fashion lover. I like to stand out in my designs. I get a lot of compliments on daily basis. I have a huge passion for fashion and I am really looking forward to carving a niche for myself in the fashion industry.
What is your aesthetic?
I love elegance. I love print fabrics, feathers, trimmings and unusual laces. I source and wear a lot of them for weddings and classy events. The end result of mixing both fabrics make me want to do more.
What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
My collections are created with my local materials and flowers. My hats are made out of different fabrics from my country and it can be worn in so many ways. I am fascinated at the moments with different designs especially from the just concluded Races in Galway and abroad. The designs are mind blowing and really inspiring.
How has your work evolved since you began your own label?
As a young fashion designer, I practice on daily basis to develop myself. I push myself to try out new and different things, and I am looking forward to creating more classy pieces.
Mick Russell Photography
What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?
To believe in myself and trust my intuition. Learn from others who are good in the field and never lose focus.
Timothée Cognard Photography
Describe your creative process.
I create my pieces from what I have in mind and with a twist as I start to create. I love that my pieces that can be styled in different ways and worn several times.
Timothée Cognard Photography
How do you get unstuck creatively?
I rarely do but I find I switch off, I go shopping and watch some movies, chat with my kids or with that one friend who cracks me up.
Timothée Cognard Photography
What questions do you ask yourself before you begin any design project?
I take a very good look at the fabric and design. What can I come up with? Will it compliment the body? Do I need to add any accessories to enhance the style?
Timothée Cognard Photography
How do you stay organized when trying to design and create while balancing family or other work related responsibilities?
One is never organised when creating anything, especially with kids around; doing the laundry and running down to the shops for quick groceries. There has to be a balance.
Timothée Cognard Photography
How do you feel about the current state if the fashion industry?
Just do your best to be the best you can. The industry is big enough for everyone.
Where do you see your brand expanding to?
I am currently working from home. I hope to see my brand go globally.
Aay Kay Photography
What advice would you give to young designers?
Believe you can and you will. Set a standard and be passionate.
Esther will be taking part in the GDN A/W Showcase on September 9th in Tribeton. There will be 3 individual showcases throughout the day:
Jewellery Design at 2pm
Millinery at 4pm
Clothing Design at 6pm.
Tickets for individual shows are priced at €15, or grab yourself a bundle ticket for €35 and spend the day in Tribeton, where you can enjoy 20% off all food all day or shop the Pop Up Market featuring all of the designers collections. Your ticket will entitle you to a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag specific to the show and a front row seat. If you want to get your hands on a ticket, go online via eventbrite.ie or head directly to Tribeton. There will also be a limited amount of standing tickets available for each show, but you must register your interest via eventbrite.ie prior to September 9th.
***
The Galway Designers Network is a group of talented designers looking to create exciting clothing and accessories to ensure you can support your local fashion industry and keep up to date with the latest fashion looks and we are looking to make our own mark in the fashion retail sector. Our current project the Galway Designers Studio House has been established by Ann Petrov of Cozy Handmade Designs and Gayle Poppers of Kizmet Clothing but they need your help to make their dream a reality. Follow the Galway Designers Studio HouseFacebook Page to read all about the project and how you can take part.
Here at the Galway Designer’s Network, we would like you all to get to know our designers a little better. This is the eighth installment in a series of blog posts relating to the designers who will be taking part in the upcoming A/W’17 Showcase in Tribeton on September 9th. Keep an eye out on the blog and on our social media channels over the next week and get to know our designers before the Big Day.
Deirdre Kennedy – Deirdre Kennedy Rainwear
Who are you & what kind of designer are you?
Deirdre Kennedy Rainwear is my label and www.singingintherain.ie is my website. I design and create bespoke rainwear. All my coats are made to order and measure. So if you want to feel fabulous in the rain and have a coat designed especially for you then check me out.
What sparked your interest with fashion?
Its always been there, since I was a child. My school books are full of fashion doodles, lined up on the catwalk. However I followed the advice from others to pursue a career in business as growing up in Ireland in the 80’s art was never encouraged as a career so most of us dropped it there and then. I spent 20 years in recruitment. Although I did enjoy this, I had this constant desire to work in something more creative. When my second child arrived I decided to take time out and this is when I came across an advertisement where you could become part of an upcycling team and learn design and dress making skills. A few weeks later I landed a place in St Vincent de Pauls Head office redesigning clothes they could not sell in the charity stores. This is where it all started!
Are you self taught or did you study fashion design?
Both really. After spending two years in the upcycling of clothes I did a year with GTI Fashion which was amazing. I was also fortunate to have David Young as a mentor. David trained in Saville Row in the 80s as a bespoke master tailor and I have been working with him for the last three years now and I get his advice when I am putting my designs onto fabric. He is amazing!
What made you take your talent more seriously and want make a career out of it?
I am not sure, only that when I left my career in recruitment and started to pursue fashion, things started to fall into place for me. Its hard work but it feels right and I feel I like I am going in the right direction.
What is your aesthetic?
I love the black and white Hollywood movies, the music and the clothes. I am not sure why but it brings out excitement in me.
What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
My first raincoat was inspired by the Hollywood actress Grace Kelly. I wanted to create a raincoat that was glamorous, flattering and a head turner. I bring a little of this in all my raincoats. It rains here all the time in Galway so why shouldn’t we feel a little bit Hollywood when we put on our raincoat.
How has your work evolved since you began your own label?
Its still at the very early stages so it hasn’t evolved to much from when I started out. I don’t have lots of money to throw into manufacturing so each piece is designed individually by me and on a made to order basis. I do hope to have a ready to wear collection available in the future however.
What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?
To trust your own instinct and style.
Describe your creative process.
When an idea comes into my head I need to put it on paper immediately. I then work on a moodboard around this. The idea may stay there for months before I take it up again or it could become part of another project. Lots of sketches, fabric research and finally a pattern.
How do you get unstuck creatively?
Check out what other artists, designers have done. Look through fashion magazines, Pinterest etc are all great ways to get inspired.
What questions do you ask yourself before you begin any design project?
It depends. If its for a customer I meet with them and get an understanding of their style, shape, what colours suit them and then I go through some moodboards to get a more indepth knowledge of what they are looking for. I then sketch up a few designs, with fabric swatches and the customer make a decision on what they want.
How do you stay organized when trying to design and create while balancing family or other work related responsibilities?
Oh dear that is a tough one. Well I work on whats a priority. When there are no deadlines impending I spend this time organizing myself, my work area, improving processes, revisiting my goals for the year all while making sure that family, life and health needs met. It’s a constant juggling act.
How do you feel about the current state if the fashion industry?
I think we need to think and educate ourselves more on our environment and human rights when it comes to the fashion industry. We turn a blind eye to the real cost of fashion and its only when you educate yourself more on the subject that you discover the problems that are out there. I think we all need to play our part in making fashion sustainable for everyone.
Where do you see your brand expanding to?
Any country where there is lots of rain!
What advice would you give to young designers?
Persistence, follow your instinct and believe you can do it. You can only believe you can do it by doing it.
Deirdre will be taking part in the GDN A/W Showcase on September 9th in Tribeton. There will be 3 individual showcases throughout the day:
Jewellery Design at 2pm
Millinery at 4pm
Clothing Design at 6pm.
Tickets for individual shows are priced at €15, or grab yourself a bundle ticket for €35 and spend the day in Tribeton, where you can enjoy 20% off all food all day or shop the Pop Up Market featuring all of the designers collections. Your ticket will entitle you to a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag specific to the show and a front row seat. If you want to get your hands on a ticket, go online via eventbrite.ie or head directly to Tribeton. There will also be a limited amount of standing tickets available for each show, but you must register your interest via eventbrite.ie prior to September 9th.
***
The Galway Designers Network is a group of talented designers looking to create exciting clothing and accessories to ensure you can support your local fashion industry and keep up to date with the latest fashion looks and we are looking to make our own mark in the fashion retail sector. Our current project the Galway Designers Studio House has been established by Ann Petrov of Cozy Handmade Designs and Gayle Poppers of Kizmet Clothing but they need your help to make their dream a reality. Follow the Galway Designers Studio HouseFacebook Page to read all about the project and how you can take part.
Here at the Galway Designer’s Network, we would like you all to get to know our designers a little better. This is the eighth installment in a series of blog posts relating to the designers who will be taking part in the upcoming A/W’17 Showcase in Tribeton on September 9th. Keep an eye out on the blog and on our social media channels over the next week and get to know our designers before the Big Day.
My name is Gayle Poppers, I’m 34 and a single mother of 2 young girls, trying to build my business and be a positive role model for them as they grow up. My label is called Kizmet Clothing; Kizmet means ‘ Destiny ‘ and when I started my label, it seemed so fitting with what I was starting to do. It felt like the right path, like it was my destiny to create something which would fulfill my creative needs along with sharing with others my passion for clothing and style. I am, I suppose, not your ‘standard’ designer. I create from what I love to wear myself, my sketching skills are not the strongest and I tend to make out of a vision I have, and a lot of it is trial and error! My main aim with all the pieces I design is to be comfortable, yet to feel beautiful while wearing them. Clothes which are versatile, feminine, yet practical and comfortable!
What sparked your interest with fashion?
I have always loved clothes! From as far back as I remember I was very particular in the clothes I would wear, yet I never really ‘followed trends’ as such. I would always take elements of current trends and make them work for me in a different way. My grandmother and my mother both worked making costumes in theatre, and growing up, my mum always had a sewing machine which she often used to make us clothes, and I started sewing doll clothes when I was 8 or 9. When I was a teen then I used to make myself handbags and various other things, I always wanted to make and wear my own clothes, it just took me a while to get there!
Are you self taught or did you study fashion design?
When I was 20 I studied Fashion Design in Galway and later then I studied Fashion Business in Melbourne, Australia. The design course was pretty basic, so although I did learn a lot there, most of my recent work is self taught with some guidance along the way.
Mick Russell Photography
What made you take your talent more seriously and want make a career out of it?
The fashion industry for me was a difficult one to crack, and I chopped and changed various jobs over the years, trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. When I had my youngest was a year old, I started to feel like I really needed to focus on something again, something for myself but also something that would allow me to be at home with my kids and work around their needs as best I could. I started Kizmet on a whim to be honest, loving that I could be creative and work for myself, but not fully knowing where it would go. I think it is only in the last year that I have really started to take it all more serious, working with others and listening to the feedback I have gotten for my work, I started to think that maybe this could be something great! I still feel I am at the beginning of it all, learning as I go, but it is definitely my career now, and I am so passionate about making it work, I can’t imagine doing anything else!
Mick Russell Photography
What is your aesthetic?
Feminine flowing lines, simple yet beautiful.
Mick Russell Photography
What inspired this collection?
My A/W collection is more chic than previous work. I am inspired by strong women, women who make stuff happen for themselves, and I wanted to create something wearable which represents this, in my eyes anyway! I do really love the current trend of voluptuous sleeves and wanted to have an element of that in my line also.
Aay Kay Photography
How has your work evolved since you began your own label?
When I first started, there was a lot of hit-and-miss pieces. I would have made without much extended focus on the finish product. I would have worked with off cuts and remnants, so one off pieces, never to be made again! Whereas now, I make things more in collaboration with each other, making a collection of pieces which compliment one another.
Kizmet Clothing
What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?
There’s always more to learn!
Kizmet Clothing
Describe your creative process.
I just start. Usually with a piece of fabric which I love, and an internal vision of something I would like to create. I drape and fold and try on myself, until it eventually works! I’m usually in my studio after the kids are in bed, watching Netflix as I sew, that’s my happy place!
Kizmet Clothing
How do you get unstuck creatively?
I usually would take a break, away from my studio for a few days, so I can come back to it with fresh eyes when I’m ready. Sometimes I will look at magazines or Pinterest for inspiration, or will just mess around with making something silly, or something for my kids, just to take the pressure off making something really good!
Mick Russell Photography
What questions do you ask yourself before you begin any design project?
Mostly, will this work? Who would wear this? Will anyone wear this other then me!? Is it something that represents me as a designer?
Mick Russell Photography
How do you stay organized when trying to design and create while balancing family or other work related responsibilities?
Ha! I am still trying to figure out this balance. Ill let you know!
Mick Russell Photography
How do you feel about the current state if the fashion industry?
I feel a lot of it is regurgitated fashion, in slightly different and often bizarre forms! It must be difficult I would think, if you are one of the top leading fashion designers to come up with new concepts, as its all been done before. Every year we see a different era of fashion styles coming back onto the catwalk, in varying ways. This season I am most taken with the extravagant sleeves and 70’s style. It is hard to keep up with fashion these days, as it is such a fast paced industry. But I also feel that these days, anything goes, people are free to wear anything or any style they feel without prejudice, which is really nice, in my opinion, as it allows freedom of creative expression.
Where do you see your brand expanding to?
I would love to start to expand my market to Europe, and start to outsource construction so I can focus more on the design aspect of things. Ideally I would start to work with a team who could collaborate with me and really build on the brand of my label.
PurpleBlues Photography
What advice would you give to young designers?
Ummmm….. I still could do with some advice myself haha! I think what I would advise though, is that there are more ways then one to create your designs. As I mentioned before, I have had to work around the fact that I’m not a great sketcher, but I have found my way through that. You don’t have to always follow the rules of fashion design, and no one person is able to do EVERYTHING, find your strengths and the rest will follow!
Gayle will be taking part in the GDN A/W Showcase on September 9th in Tribeton. There will be 3 individual showcases throughout the day:
Jewellery Design at 2pm
Millinery at 4pm
Clothing Design at 6pm.
Tickets for individual shows are priced at €15, or grab yourself a bundle ticket for €35 and spend the day in Tribeton, where you can enjoy 20% off all food all day or shop the Pop Up Market featuring all of the designers collections. Your ticket will entitle you to a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag specific to the show and a front row seat. If you want to get your hands on a ticket, go online via eventbrite.ie or head directly to Tribeton. There will also be a limited amount of standing tickets available for each show, but you must register your interest via eventbrite.ie prior to September 9th.
***
The Galway Designers Network is a group of talented designers looking to create exciting clothing and accessories to ensure you can support your local fashion industry and keep up to date with the latest fashion looks and we are looking to make our own mark in the fashion retail sector. Our current project the Galway Designers Studio House has been established by Ann Petrov of Cozy Handmade Designs and Gayle Poppers of Kizmet Clothing but they need your help to make their dream a reality. Follow the Galway Designers Studio HouseFacebook Page to read all about the project and how you can take part.
Here at the Galway Designer’s Network, we would like you all to get to know our designers a little better. This is the seventh installment in a series of blog posts relating to the designers who will be taking part in the upcoming A/W’17 Showcase in Tribeton on September 9th. Keep an eye out on the blog and on our social media channels over the next week and get to know our designers before the Big Day.
Claire Kelly Badger – CKB Millinery
What sparked your interest with millinery?
I have always had an obsession with hats. Since I was a young child, my grandmother had a fabulous collection of formal hats hidden in a wardrobe that came out at special occasions. I used to try them on all the time along with her big coats and I think my obsession started from there!
Timothée Cognard
Are you self taught or did you study fashion design?
I have a Degree in Business in Human Resource Management. I started out doing a beginners Millinery course in Galway a few years back as a hobby, then proceeded to do one-to-one lessons with Lina Stein, an International award winning Milliner based in Westport. I have continued to do courses with Lina over the years, there is still so much to learn, I am only tipping the iceberg.
What made you take your talent more seriously and want make a career out of it?
As previously mentioned, I am only a part-time Milliner. I work full time in my career in HR. Millinery is like a release for me, somewhere to go to relax and get lost in the world of creativity.
What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
I love whatever is in fashion, I love to shop and key an eye on what is trending – I love colour, jewels, lace and anything sparkly so if I can incorporate any of the into my collections I am happy. For the Autumn Winter, I love to keep hats simple but sophisticated, very demure.
How has your work evolved since you began your own label?
Continuous learning online and in millinery classes has definitely brought my hats to a new level in recent times.
What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?
Plan plan plan! Don’t leave deadlines until the last minute and always have your brand looking professional – first impressions are key.
Describe your creative process.
When I get in the zone, I cannot get my pieces done quick enough. I have ideas in my head and I’m afraid If I don’t get the work done immediately, I will lose the creative flow.
How do you get unstuck creatively?
Get out and explore, go for walks, shop. I find that sometimes you could might see an object, it could be absolutely anything from a tree to an ornament and you will want to recreate it with material to add to a design for a hat.
What questions do you ask yourself before you begin any design project?
What mood am I in today? I think my mood determines the type of creation I start. If I am not in the right form to work on my hats, I will leave it until I am or I will sit looking at a piece of material for hours and I won’t get anywhere.
How do you stay organized when trying to design and create while balancing family or other work related responsibilities?
It can be difficult and times like summer are extremely busy. I work full time and my job is quite busy so it can be difficult at times to prioritise. But the key is to plan and not to take on too much. I only take on what I can handle, while still maintaining a work life balance.
Where do you see your brand expanding to?
Who knows! I never expected to set up my own business a few years ago. I only started in millinery for the love of making things and the desire to create my own hats. This evolved overnight for me, so who knows what will happen in another few years.
What advice would you give to young designers?
If you love something enough, stick with it. Opportunities will come to you, just go with them.
Claire will be taking part in the GDN A/W Showcase on September 9th in Tribeton. There will be 3 individual showcases throughout the day:
Jewellery Design at 2pm
Millinery at 4pm
Clothing Design at 6pm.
Tickets for individual shows are priced at €15, or grab yourself a bundle ticket for €35 and spend the day in Tribeton, where you can enjoy 20% off all food all day or shop the Pop Up Market featuring all of the designers collections. Your ticket will entitle you to a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag specific to the show and a front row seat. If you want to get your hands on a ticket, go online via eventbrite.ie or head directly to Tribeton. There will also be a limited amount of standing tickets available for each show, but you must register your interest via eventbrite.ie prior to September 9th.
***
The Galway Designers Network is a group of talented designers looking to create exciting clothing and accessories to ensure you can support your local fashion industry and keep up to date with the latest fashion looks and we are looking to make our own mark in the fashion retail sector. Our current project the Galway Designers Studio House has been established by Ann Petrov of Cozy Handmade Designs and Gayle Poppers of Kizmet Clothing but they need your help to make their dream a reality. Follow the Galway Designers Studio HouseFacebook Page to read all about the project and how you can take part.
Here at the Galway Designer’s Network, we would like you all to get to know our designers a little better. This is the fifth installment in a series of blog posts relating to the designers who will be taking part in the upcoming A/W’17 Showcase in Tribeton on September 9th. Keep an eye out on the blog and on our social media channels over the next few weeks and get to know our designers before the Big Day.
I’m Kaisa, 31 years old, a turquoise-haired freelance graphic designer / rocker chick by day, loads of other things during the rest of the time. I’m originally from Estonia, recently moved to Ireland. In terms of fashion design I do jewellery design mostly; my specialty is either beaded multi-practical and functional pieces (things you could wear as 2in1 pieces) or pixelart creations (e.g. pixel-jewelry) made out of fused beads. The latter is quite unknown in most parts of the world, especially in the grown-up department!
What sparked your interest with jewellery?
For me, it started off out of necessity. I couldn’t find from the jewellery stores the kind of stuff that would’ve gone well together with my own unique style and taste and therefore figured that I’d need to create it myself. That’s where it all got started.
Are you self-taught or did you study fashion design?
I’ve never studied fashion design, so I’d have to say that I’m self-taught. Nowadays it’s so easy to find tutorials on the internet to try out and modify once you get skilled enough. Just takes a bit of patience and practice!
via Silver Wolfie
What made you take your talent more seriously and want to make a career out of it?
Once I had started creating jewellery for myself and made it a “hip” new thing to wear out and about my friends and strangers started asking about those. So soon enough I felt like I had tapped into something that wasn’t there yet and that gave me the confidence that there are more people out there that are a bit more colourful, unconventional and like quirky jewellery, rather than the classical. Before I knew it my head was spinning with new ideas that I wanted to try out and the brand Sylph Designs was born.
via Penelope Russak
What is your aesthetic?
I love bold, confident, colourful jewellery. Being a quirky and unconventional woman myself I love to surround myself with geekery and colours. However, I want to emphasize that being whimsy doesn’t mean that you have to look like a fool. I rather like to mix and match jewellery and show to others that it’s OK to be different, to be true to yourself and to not be afraid of a little whimsy and colour every now and then. After all, we all have a little kid hidden inside of ourselves as well.
What inspired this collection? What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
Looking at it from a distance, it sure looks like I was inspired by the kid’s cartoon “Frozen”. Coming from a country (Estonia) where snow is definitely not a rare thing to see and the pure fields of ice and cold weather is a completely normal part of winter. I think that’s where the inspiration came from as well. I love geekery, pixelart, retro computer games, but I also love beautiful colour combinations, different shades of blues and whites and also the contradictions that go together with it. Life isn’t 50 shades of grey (though wouldn’t most women love that as well!); to me it’s rather a beautiful mix of bright and bold colours. Mix classical with retro, smooth lines with pixelated creations and you’ll get where I’m coming from.
How has your work evolved since you began your own label?
To be honest I think I’ve stayed true to myself since the beginning. Even though Sylph Designs began as a brand that did mostly pixel-jewellery, it’s now moved onto the wonderful world of beadweaving and beaded jewellery. I love trying out different things. And I do realize as well that looking from outside in it might occasionally even feel like I’m one big contradiction but why would anyone bind themselves into a box. If you can, always draw lines also outside of the box – colour outside of the lines! Life is more fun like that!
What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?
There are two things that I greatly value: Firstly, always stay true to who you are. I feel that I’m the core of my business, the main character in the designs and I believe that the only way to gain more audience is to be who you are. Be yourself! And secondly, branding is everything. Having a background in graphic design has helped me a lot to build up a branding around my different ventures in the jewellery business as well. Pixel-jewelry and beaded jewellery have different feels to them, therefore the brands are a bit different as well. Pixel-jewelry has a bit of a geeky flare, pixelart and computer games being a huge inspiration and beaded jewellery pieces are more classic. There is though one big thing that connects them both: COLOUR!
Describe your creative process.
My pixel-jewellery is hugely inspired by old computer games and the book that I wrote a year ago, “Bead it. Iron it. Love it.” – released in UK, USA, Estonia, Sweden, Poland and some other countries. That’s the place where I live out my kid-like fantasies. Once I’ve got an idea what I wish to create, I sketch the ideas down, fiddle around in my computer trying to nail down the pattern and then create it. My beaded jewellery is more about what kind of materials I feel like using. Each type of bead has different possibilities. Twin-beads do one thing, seed beads help you create another kind of thing and mixing them all together to create beautiful beaded ball beads is a third kind of use case. For those, I really do my research and then tweak the designs until I’m happy with it.
How do you get unstuck creatively?
Ah, that’s a big thing for all creatives I guess. I’ve tried out a lot of different things over the years. Being a bit of an impatient soul that loves doing a bit of this and that and then some I usually just switch out every now and then the activities that I’m doing. If I feel like drawing, I draw, if I feel like beading, I bead, if I feel like doing pixelart, I do pixelart. In addition to the jewellery business I always have the option to do music, sing, create some digital art, some traditional art, draw, write poems and journal. I guess keeping a daily journal is the core of it all. That’s what helps me from getting stuck, getting thoughts on paper and to keep moving. Changing hair colour every now and then also doesn’t harm!
via Penelope Russak
What questions do you ask yourself before you begin any design project?
I usually don’t ask anything, I dive in right away overly enthusiastic. Ok, in all fairness, if there’s one thing to ask then this is it: do I have the materials that I need to bring my ideas to life? That’s all!
How do you stay organized when trying to design and create while balancing family or other work related responsibilities?
That’s a tough one. I think there’s a weird madness to all of this creativity. I try not to plan too much, clean up too much, organize too much, work too much, but a simple daily/weekly to-do list helps to keep things moving. But you know what they say, life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. So I’ve learned to not be too harsh on myself if I can’t make everything happen in time, I prioritize creativity over planning and staying organized because when you lose creativity and get stuck in the “I have to do this” thing, then you’re screwed. It’s hard coming back from being burnt out.
How do you feel about the current state if the fashion industry?
It feels a bit like people are moving towards extremes, like the world, in general. It’s either too over the top, too over-priced for the value you get or you end up wearing garments or jewellery that’s cheap and poorly made. I wish there were more appreciation towards custom-made jewellery and clothes and that people wouldn’t take these crafts just for granted. You can’t compare a handcrafted item with something you buy from the mall. Not if it’s made with lots of love and care.
Where do you see your brand expanding to?
I think for me it’s honestly just moving towards the same direction I always have been. Just doing what I love and staying true to that. As long as there are enough crazy gals out there like me there will be a market for that as well. I’m not trying to make mainstream stuff, so let’s not even try pretending that this is what will happen in the end. I’ll continue adding variety, come up with new quirky patterns and continue to hope that the women around me find more courage in themselves to stay true to their unique style and be bold enough to wear more colour.
What advice would you give to young designers?
Stay true to yourself and do whatever your heart wants to do with the utmost passion and conviction. Don’t let others tell you what you can do or who you should be. It’s hard, trust me, I know but if you’re being YOU, then nobody can take anything away from you. And please-please-please, don’t settle or start following the mainstream flow. You’ll do better staying in your own quirky lane. And who cares if it’s the right or the left lane or the bus lane instead.
Kaisa will be taking part in the GDN A/W Showcase on September 9th in Tribeton. There will be 3 individual showcases throughout the day:
Jewellery Design at 2pm
Millinery at 4pm
Clothing Design at 6pm.
Tickets for individual shows are priced at €15, or grab yourself a bundle ticket for €35 and spend the day in Tribeton, where you can enjoy 20% off all food all day or shop the Pop Up Market featuring all of the designers collections. Your ticket will entitle you to a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag specific to the show and a front row seat. If you want to get your hands on a ticket, go online via eventbrite.ie or head directly to Tribeton. There will also be a limited amount of standing tickets available for each show, but you must register your interest via eventbrite.ie prior to September 9th.
***
The Galway Designers Network is a group of talented designers looking to create exciting clothing and accessories to ensure you can support your local fashion industry and keep up to date with the latest fashion looks and we are looking to make our own mark in the fashion retail sector. Our current project the Galway Designers Studio House has been established by Ann Petrov of Cozy Handmade Designs and Gayle Poppers of Kizmet Clothing but they need your help to make their dream a reality. Follow the Galway Designers Studio HouseFacebook Page to read all about the project and how you can take part.
Here at the Galway Designer’s Network, we would like you all to get to know our designers a little better. This is the second installment in a series of blog posts relating to the designers who will be taking part in the upcoming A/W’17 Showcase in Tribeton on September 9th. Keep an eye out on the blog and on our social media channels over the next few weeks and get to know our designers before the Big Day.
I have always had a passion for art and fashion but ended up choosing a career in engineering. As an engineer I always had a flair for the aesthetics in design and got to work with designers in Paris, colour consultants in London and many suppliers of unusual finishes , materials and coatings. I absolutely love working with different materials textures and colours.
When the company I worked for closed shop in Ireland and moved back to the US I had 3 kids under two and decided to stay at home with them. This is when I got to indulge my creative side. I started painting and spent some time in GMIT studying Fine art and Design. For something different I tried millinery and became obsessed.
Are you self taught or did you study fashion design?
I started in GMIT (Beginners and Advanced) but have since done courses with the amazing Lina Stein and Carole Maher from Australia.
Timothée Cognard Photography
What made you take your talent more seriously and want make a career out of it?
Two things I suppose, firstly my obsession for design and secondly people were asking me to make pieces for them.
What is your aesthetic?
I personally like a very classic look but I love to use unusual materials in new and innovative ways. A lot of my clients want a custom piece to work with a particular outfit for a wedding or the races so I like to design taking all variables into account: the person (personality, hair colour, height, skin tone etc); the outfit (colours, textures style); the occasion.
Timothée Cognard Photography
What inspired this collection?
This collection was inspired by by research into thermoplastics and the new possibilities it brings. I use this material to bring drama and structure to my designs.
The large cream headpiece is inspired by the ‘Children of Lir’. a story from Irish Folklore. The cream structures when placed together create a winglike effect.
The large Black and White piece reflects the “Yin /Yang” symbol which is carried through in the Black and Silver thermoplastics.
How has your work evolved since you began your own label?
I think in the beginning I was like a kid in a toy shop, all over the place and trying everything. I now have developed the process and I suppose have found my own style. I certainly focus on ergonomics in my designs and have learned better how to interpret what each individual customer requires. This only happens with lots of practice.
Mick Russell Photography
What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?
I think the best lesson is to trust your intuition, do your own thing and innovate where possible.
Describe your creative process.
The creative process for custom designs is very different from designs where I just get to indulge my creative side and go wild with colours and materials.
In custom designs I look at the person, the outfit , the occasion, the textures, colours etc then develop a design to suit but I always take into account the ergonomics, the balance and re-usability of the design. So many people tell me they have hats that have only been worn once and never see the light of day. I try to design pieces that can be worn lots of times. I advise clients on how to use them by working with different accessories.
My own personal creative process is usually sparked by a new fabric or an innovative new material. I will usually spend hours just testing the capabilities of the new material and trialing new ways to use it before eventually putting a design together. Believe me you do not want to see the state of the workshop on those days.
Via Majella Lennon
How do you get unstuck creatively?
I find it very difficult to switch off but I find it best to get out into nature, go for a run of a walk, or do an exercise class.
What questions do you ask yourself before you begin any design project?
I love a good design brief. I love to set aims objectives etc and manage a project.
Via Majella Lennon
How do you stay organized when trying to design and create while balancing family or other work related responsibilities?
I don’t think I do stay organised. There is always a little chaos ((or sometimes a lot). I am learning to live with that and so are my family.
Where do you see your brand expanding to?
I am currently stocked in Harper and Style Kloset and the Fancy Nest here in Galway. I want to build my brand at a pace I am comfortable…keep watching!
Via Majella Lennon
What advice would you give to young designers?
Nothing happens quickly, take your time, stay true to yourself and it will work!
Majella will be taking part in the GDN A/W Showcase on September 9th in Tribeton. There will be 3 individual showcases throughout the day:
Jewellery Design at 2pm
Millinery at 4pm
Clothing Design at 6pm.
Tickets for individual shows are priced at €15, or grab yourself a bundle ticket for €35 and spend the day in Tribeton, where you can enjoy 20% off all food all day or shop the Pop Up Market featuring all of the designers collections. Your ticket will entitle you to a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag specific to the show and a front row seat. If you want to get your hands on a ticket, go online via eventbrite.ie or head directly to Tribeton. There will also be a limited amount of standing tickets available for each show, but you must register your interest via eventbrite.ie prior to September 9th.
***
The Galway Designers Network is a group of talented designers looking to create exciting clothing and accessories to ensure you can support your local fashion industry and keep up to date with the latest fashion looks and we are looking to make our own mark in the fashion retail sector. Our current project the Galway Designers Studio House has been established by Ann Petrov of Cozy Handmade Designs and Gayle Poppers of Kizmet Clothing but they need your help to make their dream a reality. Follow the Galway Designers Studio HouseFacebook Page to read all about the project and how you can take part.
Here at the Galway Designer’s Network, we would like you all to get to know our designers a little better. This is the first installment in a series of blog posts relating to the designers who will be taking part in the upcoming A/W’17 Showcase in Tribeton on September 9th. Keep an eye out on the blog and on our social media channels over the next few weeks and get to know our designers before the Big Day.
I suppose every woman likes jewellery, but I don’t really like pearls, gold, stones and sparkly crystals. I like being unique and I always enjoyed making my look a bit different from what you can see on the streets. I wanted to wear something easy to put on, big but light and most of all something eye catching and very colourful. Inspired by African style jewellery I decided to start making yarn wrapped necklaces – and that’s how it all started.
Aay Kay Photography
Are you self taught or did you study fashion design?
I never studied any fashion design. I am a preschool and primary teacher with an artistic soul and a passion for handmade art.
Timothée Cognard Photography
What made you take your talent more seriously and want make a career out of it?
I am not sure If I am at this stage when I think about it as a chance for a career. I still think about what I am doing as my passion, my hobby. It’s a bit like therapy, a nice break from every day life, the kids, the work, the house duties etc. Every time I see people liking my jewellery and they are willing to buy it, I take it as a compliment. This is what makes me feel unique: people’s interest, nice words and real contact with them.
Timothée Cognard Photography
What is your aesthetic?
I like colours. I think wearing something colourful makes life more happy, especially in Ireland where we have to deal with so many rainy and dull days – I like to brighten them up with a bit more colour. I am inspired by African style jewellery. I like to play with colours but also with different fabrics, trimmings, beads, feathers and anything what can be wrapped around strips of fabric.
Mick Russell Photography
What inspired this collection or what are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
When I was creating this collection I was definitely using more feathers than before. I carefully selected them while I was visiting my country during the summer holidays. I love attaching them to my necklaces . Some of them are long, some are short. Fluffy, delicate, exclusive almost. In this collection I wanted to show that my necklaces can be used as a costume jewellery as well as part of the casual look. They can be use as a part of theatre costume as they are big and very eye catching.
Mick Russell Photography
How has your work evolved since you began your own label?
I am definitely more brave by using more and more different types of ”decorations”. I started using only yarns and playing mostly with the colours. Now I am focused on making more interesting necklaces when every rope has a different texture , feeling etc.
Mick Russell Photography
What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?
I don’t know how to answer this question… We are learning every day and all our lives. I am not that far with my company to be able to do that kind of evaluation yet!
Mick Russell Photography
Describe your creative process.
It’s simpler than you think. It all comes from the need of taking break from reality! Then I look at the yarns…I think what colours I would like to mix. I decide what kind of trimmings, or beads , fabrics or maybe feathers I can attach to make it look interesting and off I go with the creative process!
Timothée Cognard Photography
How do you get unstuck creatively?
If I feel tired from making necklaces and have no idea for the next project I usually switch to my other craft – needle felting. I make figurines, ornaments etc. After 1 or 2 felt items I can go back to my jewellery designs. It always works!
Timothée Cognard Photography
What questions do you ask yourself before you begin any design project?
How do I want it to look on my neck? Do I want it very bright or maybe quiet this time? Do I want it to be casual or more costume jewellery?
Purple Blues Photography
How do you stay organized when trying to design and create while balancing family or other work related responsibilities?
Ha! Nobody said I am organized! Artistic people are usually not! I work when I can…when my kids are busy playing, between washing and feeding them. I work when they are finally asleep. I suppose it is still some kind of organization but far away from the dream!
Manon Gustave Photography
How do you feel about the current state if the fashion industry?
To be honest with you….I don’t know. I do what I love, I sell it and it makes my happy. But I am outside of the fashion industry. I don’t follow the trends, I don’t read or watch any programs about it. I wear what I like, I do what I love…I feel free.
Manon Gustave Photography
Where do you see your brand expanding to?
As far as I see 98% of my designs are selling to the United States (mostly New York) so I’d say that is my main market. Funky people over there!
Manon Gustave Photography
What advice would you give to young designers?
As a designer I feel young myself so I am open for advice from designers who actually matter in the fashion industry. My time for giving advice might come but I am definitely not at this stage just yet!
Karolina will be taking part in the GDN A/W Showcase on September 9th in Tribeton. There will be 3 individual showcases throughout the day:
Jewellery Design at 2pm
Millinery at 4pm
Clothing Design at 6pm.
Tickets for individual shows are priced at €15, or grab yourself a bundle ticket for €35 and spend the day in Tribeton, where you can enjoy 20% off all food all day or shop the Pop Up Market featuring all of the designers collections. Your ticket will entitle you to a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag specific to the show and a front row seat. If you want to get your hands on a ticket, go online via eventbrite.ie or head directly to Tribeton. There will also be a limited amount of standing tickets available for each show, but you must register your interest via eventbrite.ie prior to September 9th.
***
The Galway Designers Network is a group of talented designers looking to create exciting clothing and accessories to ensure you can support your local fashion industry and keep up to date with the latest fashion looks and we are looking to make our own mark in the fashion retail sector. Our current project the Galway Designers Studio House has been established by Ann Petrov of Cozy Handmade Designs and Gayle Poppers of Kizmet Clothing but they need your help to make their dream a reality. Follow the Galway Designers Studio HouseFacebook Page to read all about the project and how you can take part.
Galway Designers Network 