WEARINGIRISH showcases top designers/brands from Ireland. In this series, meet the designers and hear their stories. Here Margaret chats with Vivien Walsh. Visit vivienwalsh.com for more!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND. I grew up in a creative environment… my father was a furniture designer and so it seemed very natural for me to follow a career in design. Jewellery came about almost by accident! I am entirely self taught. While I was living in London in the 1980’s I became captivated by the small bead shops around me and decided to try my hand at creating my own pieces. On returning to Ireland I launched my first jewellery collection and have been creating ever since. WHAT WAS THE MOST DEFINING MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER? I think my heart skipped a beat the first time I saw someone wearing a piece of my jewellery in real life. I realized, “I’m actually doing this!” Thankfully that feeling never went away, and I still get the same thrill to this day.
WHAT’S YOUR AMBITION FOR YOUR BRAND? My ambition is to grow my brand both nationally and internationally through my website and collaborations with like-minded retail partners. HOW YOU WOULD DEFINE THE HEART AND SOUL OF YOUR BRAND? I design jewellery to be loved and worn, that makes the wearer feel good. WHERE DOES YOUR BRAND NAME COME FROM? It’s my name. For me, it’s important that people know there is a real person behind the brand. WHO IS YOUR DREAM MUSE? WHY? My current muse is Maria Bernad. I adore her easy-going style. YOUR DREAM COLLABORATION? To collaborate with Iris Apfel would be amazing; her sense of freedom is inspiring. WHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT THE WEARINGIRISH MOVEMENT? I love the contemporary approach WearingIrish is taking to highlight the creative talent on our small island. WHO DO YOU WANT TO WEAR IRISH? She is independent and travels her own path. Trends do not define her; instead, she sets her own style. She chooses to wear Irish. TAKE US THROUGH YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS. An idea will strike me: it could be anything, at any time and I might jot down a note or somehow record the memory. When I start to work on that idea, it is the materials themselves that speak to me. I rarely draw. I go directly to my workbench and begin to play with the stones, chains, metal pieces, and that’s when the designs start to flow. HOW DOES A SENSE OF PLACE INFORM YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS— SPECIFICALLY IRELAND? The sense of freedom that comes from living on an island is something that influences the person I am and the way I work. Our rich culture and history, along with the natural beauty of our landscape, is a constant inspiration. WHAT DOES BEING IRISH MEAN TO YOU AND IN WHAT WAY HAS IT INFLUENCED YOUR CREATIONS? We are storytellers, romantics, and rebels all rolled into one; my creativity flows from those three things. MOST COVETED ITEM IN YOUR COLLECTION? Right now, the multi-strand floating pearl necklace from my City collection. THREE THINGS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT? Loved ones, music, and an emerald ring that belonged to my mother. YOUR GO-TO STYLING TRICK? Keep it simple and understated and add a pop of interest. TELL US ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT WE DIDN’T ASK. Inside, I’m a piano playing architect!