Claire Garvey uses anything and everything for her designs, from silk and velvet to PVC and rubber. She is exceptionally imaginative and conceptually creative, expressing femininity with elegance and grace – true made-to-measure couture that can stand side-by-side with the likes of Jean-Paul Gaultier. And she’s a painter and writer too! The Drumcondra-born designer talks about her background, her design process and her opinions of the Irish fashion industry…
Hi Claire! How did you get started in a fashion design career?
I did a degree in fashion in the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Dublin, followed by a Master’s in fashion and costume at Vgik University in Moscow in the 1990s. I feel both of these courses helped me in different ways.
NCAD was very creative and helped to explore all ideas. In Moscow, things were much more regimented. We concentrated on a lot of painting and also getting to museums and seeing how unique pieces were made.
After I left college, I took up a small section in the design centre at the Powerscourt Townhouse in Dublin. I stayed there for 10 years. It was very good because a lot of stylists would use my clothes and they did fashion shows twice a year.
What drew you to fashion, and specifically to starting your own line?
I just always loved fashion. At the age of seven I sent pictures of my designs to Mary Quant for the doll Cindy. She sent me a lovely letter back and signed photo saying she would keep me in mind for the future!
Starting my own line from my own shop is a dream come true because I can just do what I want and thankfully it seems to sell. I think a lot of shops are scared of stocking unusual pieces in case they don’t sell but I find it is those pieces that sell for me. All of us want to be unique at the end of the day.
How do you describe your style?
I suppose my style is romantic but also has a dark edge. I like combining pretty things with harder edge fabrics. I suppose it has an element of art in it. As I hand-dye, paint and embroider the pieces and many of them are one-offs. I never work from a drawing, preferring instead to work from the mannequin and letting the fabric guide me.
What does a typical dress-art creation involve?
I start off with a fabric, pinning it and layering it with beads and colour, I like combining unusual textures together. It is predominately a visual thing. When I’m happy with how it looks I will take it off the stand and Mary and Helen will help me bring it to life.
Do you outsource any of your design work or you do everything yourself?
We have a workshop in my shop and Mary Daly and Helen Moriarty work with me to create the pieces.
A typical dress design takes how many hours?
It is hard to put a time on them. Probably if I did I would go mad! I tend to be working on several different commissions at the same time.
What do you most enjoy about a fashion design career?
I like creating unusual pieces for unusual people. One of my recent pieces was a 21st where the girl wanted a huge bronze key attached to her back so she would look like a music box doll.
Other commissions include a girl who wanted a dress to look like a tree, another with a dress made out of chili peppers. I suppose I never get bored because I never have to do the same thing twice.
How did you come about your unique design technique?
It just came naturally to me. I’m incapable of not decorating. I just created a lot of the designs myself. I suppose because I am very textile orientated but never studied textiles, I had to find my own way of creating what I wanted but this has lead to having many unusual techniques which are solely mine and for that reason difficult to copy.
What is your greatest design achievement?
My greatest achievement was being chosen last November as one of six from across the world to win the Madame Figaro/Carnet de Mode fashion competition, and as a prize to show my designs in Paris and be featured in Madame Figaro magazine. It was an amazing experience to see the different designers from all over the world and their interpretation of the ‘White Swan’.
What was the most difficult aspect in launching your own label?
Without a doubt the most difficult thing is keeping the finances organised and juggling the cash flow of the business, like most businesses I guess. Sometimes you would have a good month and you have to save that for when sales aren’t as good. The business is quite seasonal.
What is your opinion of the Irish fashion design industry?
I think the Irish fashion industry has come on in leaps and bounds. All arts seem to flourish in a recession. I think people became too complacent and are now forced in a harder economy to design pieces that stand out from the rest. Also a lot of Irish designers are returning to their roots with designs, and craftsmanship such as knitting is coming to the fore again.
Is there anything challenging for you about being a designer in Ireland?
I suppose some Irish people might not be that experimental yet! But I’m working on that.
What do people need to know about a fashion design career?
That it is not all fashion shows, publicity and glamour. Don’t believe everything you read about people, just think about yourself and what you are doing, it’s not a competition. As my husband said once, longevity is the most important thing, and to last in fashion takes a lot of hard work.
What advice would you give a fashion newbie or student, looking to become a designer?
Start slowly, get your pieces into small shops or even set up in Cow’s Lane Market or a similar local market to test what people want. Don’t rush into too many pieces at once, as you could be left with large bills and little sales. Build up bit by bit.
What skills are important in a fashion design career?
For me I design a lot for personal customers from my shop in Cow’s Lane. Knowing how to make people relaxed and how to read what it is they want to wear, and most importantly what it is they should wear to look good. Trusting your own instincts at all times. After all, if you don’t believe in what you do, who else will?
What do you wish you had known before entering the fashion industry?
I wish I had not believed everything I’d read about people. You think so many people are doing great and then they close down. A lot of it is hype. You just have to get on with what you do and be true to yourself.
Do you feel your training in a different country has helped your creativity and design process?
I suppose the interesting thing about training in Russia is that I had very limited Russian and everybody plus the lecturer only spoke Russian, so it was a bit like charades at first, trying to work out what I was supposed to do.
On the plus side we got full access to all the museums and were able to handle the garments and check construction, which was invaluable. We also went to the theatre and ballet a lot. One set I remember was completely made out of crochet: houses, streets, backdrop – It was amazing! And of course the vodka helped too!
Why did you chose to study in Russia?
I wanted a change from Ireland. It was probably just fate. I applied and didn’t think I would get it, but when I did I thought I couldn’t miss the opportunity. The architecture, the underground metro, the ice cream sold only in the snow – all of these memories I hold dear.
Where do you see your business in the long term?
I’d love to do another show in Paris. Ultimately [I want to] show everywhere I can. I am thrilled to still be creating my own work after 20 years, and if the next 20 years can continue like this then I will be even more blessed.
Any closing thoughts?
Good luck to anyone starting their own business. Be true to yourself, trust in your judgement and it will show in your work.
See more of Claire Garvey’s designs at clairegarvey.com or the Fashion Against Racism fashion show at the Mansion House in Dublin on Friday 23 March.
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