WEARINGIRISH showcases top designers/brands from Ireland. In this series, meet the designers and hear their stories. Here Margaret chats with Siobhan Quinn of BallyBoy Design. Visit ballyboydesign.ie for more!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND.
I worked in marketing and management consulting but had a lifelong love of Irish fashion and design and always wanted to set up my own business. Some years ago, I was searching for an Irish-made cape for myself. My search was fruitless, and thus BallyBoy Design was born.
WHAT WAS THE MOST DEFINING MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER?
Deirdre McQuillan published a piece on me in The Irish Times; the phone started ringing after that!
WHAT’S YOUR AMBITION FOR YOUR BRAND? For BallyBoy Design to be recognized worldwide as synonymous with quality Irish design. HOW YOU WOULD DEFINE THE HEART AND SOUL OF YOUR BRAND? Luxurious Irish tweed capes with sumptuous silk linings in vibrant colors that reflect the beautiful hues of the Irish countryside. WHERE DOES YOUR BRAND NAME COME FROM? The townland where I live in County Longford. WHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT THE WEARING IRISH MOVEMENT? I think WearingIrish is a fantastic initiative that has taken on a life of its own and continues to grow and bring the quality and breadth of Irish design to a worldwide audience. WHO DO YOU WANT TO WEAR IRISH? Everyone. TAKE US THROUGH YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS. I am very influenced by the colors and textures of the Irish landscape and my travels abroad. I take photos, gather bits and pieces, create mood boards. I love talking to women about what they want from a garment and then playing around with prototypes and keep refining and refining. HOW DOES A SENSE OF PLACE INFORM YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS— SPECIFICALLY IRELAND? Reflecting our Irish heritage and Ireland’s incredible and varied landscapes, BallyBoy Design reinterprets traditional Irish tweed in a contemporary fashion. Sumptuous colors inspired by the nature we see around us, such as sunburst yellow, sapphire blue, and fuchsia pink, are used in the tweed and silk lining. WHAT DOES BEING IRISH MEAN TO YOU AND IN WHAT WAY HAS IT INFLUENCED YOUR CREATIONS? It is crucial that I use quality Irish textiles and that my products are made in Ireland. Each cape is hand-cut and perfectly crafted to be worn, kept and loved forever; that is the essence of what BallyBoy Design is all about. MOST COVETED ITEM IN YOUR COLLECTION? A cape I made especially for an Arc Fashion Show—extra-long and with stunning feather epaulets. It has the “wow” factor. THREE THINGS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT? You can’t beat having a good white shirt and a black polo neck in your wardrobe; they will bring you anywhere. TELL US ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT I DIDN’T ASK. I love cooking for friends and family.
Barry’s tea, a daily walk and dark chocolate.
YOUR GO-TO STYLING TRICK?