Back in 2017 while I was working at my corporate job, I spent my spare time dreaming of starting my own design business. I studied design at university and even though my career evolved over the years from designer to project manager, I had a creative soul through and through and I needed an outlet.
My first idea was to create a bag! I can’t be sure why, but I felt very drawn to the idea of designing and creating my own collection of bags.
I searched online and found an accessories designer who could draw up some of my initial ideas that would allow me to research further into manufacturing etc. After a lot of research, I decided the start up costs would be too much to get this into production, plus the amount of marketing required to get a very unknown brand off the ground. Not to say it could not be done at all, but in that moment in time, I decided to take a different route.
Here are the designs I had professional drawn up and I keep them in my portfolio, as a reminder of my very first step into business, even if this particular idea didn’t come into fruition.
Having got the initial fire lit, I was also creating my first pattern designs. Some are a little cringey to look at now, but this was my very first step into something completely new and I wanted to try to see where it would take me.
My first designs made it onto a cushion sample, and my designs evolved from there. I was already proficient with Photoshop from my previous design studies and jobs, and I spent many evenings playing and creating designs. (This is still what I do for fun now!).
I started taking photographs from my phone photo gallery and experimenting with the effects, colour saturation, hues and tones, to create some weird and wonderful results in Photoshop.
My love of colour, texture and close up macro detail, furthered my inspiration and developed into some of my most popular designs and I started to slowly establish my ‘signature’ style.
Through all my online research, I had seen a company printing on faux leather fabric, so I ordered a few samples printed in my design. I still had this ‘bag’ idea in my mind, so over to YouTube I went, and taught myself how to make my very first pouch bag. The result, a triangular shaped pouch in my ‘free spirit’ fabric, embellished with jewel stones and a branded metal tag.
Looking back now, I know all these little details were a bit over the top and they shortly faded from my sewing kit, but it was start.
Fast forward a few years, having now left my corporate job and working part time to try and focus more on the creative business and my young family. I had been selling these pouches on Etsy and on my own website, along with various wholesale outlets including Faire.
Out of the blue came an email I also deleted thinking it was spam but luckily I didn’t. It was from a buyer at The National Portrait Gallery wanted to stock my pouches in their gift shop. They had found me on Instagram and felt my designs would tie in well with an exhibition they had on in the gallery.
So mind blown, I did 3 large stock orders of my pouches throughout that year for the gift shop. Of course I dragged by husband along for a special trip down to London, just to seem them in situ. Still one of my pinch me moments.
The business has changed dramatically over the years and from that early cushion sample. Including exhibiting at Top Drawer trade fair in September 2019, where I was a shortlisted finalist for the new Spotted Awards. (5 months pregnant here). I was also selling at markets, which I loved and always got a buzz of selling to people face to face. I was finally successful and accepted as a vendor to sell on Not on The High Street (after three attempts!). I also stocked over 45+ independent shops all over the world including Europe and USA and lastly having my work in two National Museums in Ireland and the US.
Even writing these, I can’t believe some of the incredible opportunities that have come my way, simply due to hard work, being brave and sending that email and sometimes luck and I am incredibly grateful for it all.
However times have changed, my priorities have changed and I realised I wanted to strip back to the bare bones of my creative business and re-access what I really want from it. And that is where I am now, ready to start on a really exciting and inspiring chapter for me.
My contemporary patterns and prints are still my main focus and I have some really exciting ideas on where I want to head to next. I’ll keep you updated soon 😊.
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