For outsiders looking in, the world of fashion often feels like a snow globe- something you can see but not quite touch. Those too-tall models in outlandish creations? Towering shoes you can’t walk in? The dresses that cost as much as a small car? But for the young designers trying to carve out a career in the industry, it is the stuff of dreams. And now, as we head into the fashion show season, the focus is on the industry once again as a handful of young Irish graduates showcase their wares in the UK style capital.
London Fashion Week 2017 kicks off next month in an explosion of colour, style and individuality. From February 17th to 21st, the crème de la crème of the fashion world will be premiering their latest collections at a trade event aimed at a few thousand buyers, editors and celebrities. Up-and-coming designers get to put their creations in the spotlight, but the real aim is to take orders from retailers. Each season orders of over £100m (€120m) are placed and an excess of over 5,000 visitors will attend the extravaganza – this can literally make or break a young designer’s career.
But what about the situation closer to our shores? Does Ireland have the necessary resources to nurture our creative talent so that they too can compete on the world stage? The hard truth is that Irish designers who want to become the next JW Anderson or Simone Rocha face harsh realities when making the decision to stay in Ireland. Trend forecasting, for example, is big business, worth €36 billion globally, yet most of our graduates in this area are having to emigrate due to the limited job market here.
I know that setting up a design label here can be an isolating experience. It’s a business model that you still need to explain to investors and when you break down how it operates it sounds like a risky investment. A few key facts; there are no companies here who are equipped to sew leather bags or leather garments in bulk. All digital print has to be done abroad and nearly everything has to be outsourced – and for emerging and established clothing designers who are based in Ireland, you need to travel abroad to present collections to buyers at trade shows. It is an enormously expensive endeavor.
But that’s not to say that some haven’t left these shores to carve out a niche abroad. Simone Rocha has gained cult status thanks to her rebellious, but romantic collections. Worn by celebrities such as Beyonce, Alexa Chung and Saoirse Ronan, Simone’s name has become a by-word for, not just modern femininity, but also for the kind of design Ireland is best at. Yet, for every big name, there are hundreds who don’t get such glory. The fashion world has a reputation of being one of the most cut-throat industries around, but that doesn’t stop many young designers, like myself, from trying.
Over the last few years, I’ve been nominated and won awards in fashion and business, including Business Woman of the Year for New Business for Network Dublin in 2015. And while it’s been fantastic to achieve these accolades, the decision to stay and build my business at home has been a tough one. There are currently no jobs advertised for designers here, so the incentive to grow a business, while working part-time or full-time – and not as a designer – is very low, because who wants to complete a fashion degree only to work in an entirely different field?
The general consensus is that if you want to make it in the industry, you must go further afield, whether that is to work as a designer for someone else, or run your own business. Would our most recent notable fashion exports now based in London; Richard Malone and Daniel Romeril, have gained global recognition from presenting collections in Dublin? Probably not. Each year about 100 students in Ireland graduate with a BA in Fashion Design. Shortly afterwards, many of these will emigrate to London, New York and Paris.
In the UK, designers have support from the British Fashion Council, the Mayor of London who backs London Fashion Week, and commercial sponsors such as American Express and Net-A-Porter. Italy and France both have Ministers of Fashion tasked with boosting the industry. How do we fare in comparison? Recently there have been a number of initiatives to support Irish designers and craftspeople in the early stages of their career.
In 2016, Future Makers Awards and Supports Programme had a prize fund of €24,500 for students and emerging makers. It is, at least, a start. Organisations such as the Council of Irish Fashion Designers, The Design and Crafts Council and The Enterprise Board have supported a handful of designers here over the years, but a much bigger initiative is needed. Over 20 years ago, London was not included on the list of fashion capitals that buyers flocked to each season. It became the place to be when designers demanded the press took notice, and as a result the government began investing in education.
Right now we can’t compete with other fashion capitals; we have no jobs for clothing design graduates, a lack of a skilled workforce and manufacturing facilities, but what we do have is serious talent, which we are losing every year. The community of designers who are based here need to make more noise, come together and fight harder for international recognition. This effort will be a marathon, not a sprint, but well worthwhile.
LEADING FASHION DESIGNERS AND INFLUENCERS SHARE THEIR VIEWS
Jennifer Rothwell is an award-winning Dublin-based fashion designer, who is known for her iconic and innovative fabrics and prints.
‘We are renowned for the arts, music, literature, so why not Irish craft and contemporary Irish design? The design and craft industry needs government support to create design employment opportunities, sales and export potential for the Irish design sector. We need to spearhead the ‘Made in Ireland’ campaign both nationally and internationally, to have Irish design recognised worldwide as high-end quality products which incorporate innovative design excellence. This will create high domestic and international consumer demand. There is huge potential in this section, in particular in export sales if investment and support is given now.’
Heidi Higgins – is one of Ireland’s most successful young designers. The ‘Heidi’ look is ‘elegance with a twist’.
‘Most Irish designers have small studio spaces and not enough work throughout the year to hire graduates so unfortunately for many they need to go abroad to get experience in the industry and find work. Some come back and set up their own labels while others stay on in the fashion capitals around the world. I would encourage graduates to go abroad and get as much experience as possible, as college life is very different from the real fashion industry. Designing is one thing, but running a fashion design business is another and some graduates are not interested in the business side of things. For me I enjoy the balancing act of designing and selling my own collection as much today as I did when I made my very first sale in my own boutique.’
Claire Garvey is an avant-garde designer who owns her own shop in Cow’s Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin.
‘It’s very hard for young designers trying to build a career here in Ireland. The advice I would give any young designer is to stay true to yourself – don’t design something because you think it will sell – design from the heart, and it will show. Find other people to help you with your weaknesses. If you are not good at accounts, or sewing, or marketing, try to find someone who is to work with you. One of the pattern cutters I started working with is still with me 20 years later. It is not a race and persistence will pay off. Stop worrying about other designers and what they are doing. I got a grant from The Enterprise Board when I first started out, which gave me the resources to fund my first employee and equipment. They also helped me to develop my business plan, as I really needed that. Believe in yourself, and eventually others will start to believe in you too.
Eddie Shanahan is the chairperson of the Council of Irish Fashion Designers
‘Ireland is a small market, about the size of an average British city. We release up to 200 fashion graduates into the marketplace every year, too many for such a small market. Many recruited for their ability to pay fees as much as their ability to design collections. Fashion is an international business. Some designers leave to gain experience of the international marketplace, before returning to set up their own labels. Others prefer to work for major labels rather than take on the range of onerous responsibilities involved in setting up a company. There is nothing wrong with this, success abroad is lauded in many other sectors so why not in fashion?’
Margaret O’Connor is touted as the next big thing in Irish millinery with celebrity fans including Lady Gaga.
‘I believe that shy babies get no sweets. I think if you want something badly enough you have to chase it, whether you’re in Ireland or any place in the world. A true example of this would be Gary and Paul O’Donovan, from Skibbereen in Cork, Ireland’s first ever Olympic medallists in Rowing. You should be proud of your roots and if you decide to immigrate there’s nothing wrong with being the underdog.