Irish Design Spotlight: Caoimhe Murphy

Tell us about you and your brand
My name is Caoimhe and I run a slow fashion eponymous womenswear brand from my home studio in Dublin. The brand’s aesthetic is feminine, playful and timeless. Everything is thoughtfully designed and carefully made in Dublin, either in the studio or by WeMakeGood, a social enterprise that I’m so lucky to be working with.

What is your mission?
I want women to savour the art of getting dressed and enjoy their clothes! Don’t save your favourite pieces “for good wear”. What we wear has such a tangible effect on our mood, so I design clothes that bring joy to the wearer while being versatile enough to style in different ways. I also want to be transparent with my customer about my entire supply chain so they might consider this when shopping in general, and ask “Is this garment ethically made?” “What will happen to this piece of clothing at the end of its life?”

Did you always know you wanted to be a designer?
Technically I created my first design at about five or six years old! It was a tube top that I created by chopping up a beautiful crocheted blanket that some kind person had knit me as a baby! Needless to say, my mother was appalled but simultaneously encouraged the creativity, so I continued to produce badly made bags, tops and dresses when I was given my first sewing machine at age 12. This was around the same time that Helen Cody (a family relative) took me under her wing and showed me her magical world… from then on, there was no doubt that being a designer was what I wanted to do!

What kind of items do you stock?
This season we have a lot of gorgeous ready-to-wear dresses, tops and skirts on our website in a delicious variety of colourful prints that can take you from beach to wedding. We’ve gone for classic silhouettes that are ultra-flattering and timeless. Everything this season is produced in cotton or silk as these will biodegrade at the end of the garment’s life and are so comfortable and breathable to wear. We are also making hair accessories from the offcuts of our printed fabrics to reduce our waste output. You can shop a selection of pieces in Emporium Kalu in Naas which is just dress-up heaven, a must-visit!

What new brands or items are on your radar?
I’ve been wanting a pair of metallic jeans for a while now… Ganni have a sort of rose gold pair at the moment and I’m such a magpie I think I need them. A very long-term item on my radar is a Loewe puzzle bag. I just saw they brought out a tiny lilac version – it’s so pretty.

Was money/funding a concern when starting out?
I launched my first collection in April 2021, so it was still very much pandemic times! I was working in retail at the time and always saved a bit of every paycheck (since I started working at 16!) so I did have a little pot to work with and I wasn’t going on holidays anytime soon! I was going a bit mad in the house and wanted to be creative so I just said “F*ck it, let’s see what happens, I’ve got nothing to lose”, which I know is a very privileged position to be in. It hasn’t been easy but I’m really lucky to have a support system that is there for me through the ebbs and flows because it’s certainly not all rainbows and unicorns. I think when starting out, it’s good to have a secondary stream of income and know that things aren’t going to happen overnight. I was also very fortunate to have been assigned Lisa Cunningham as my mentor through my Local Enterprise Office. She gave me the tough love that I needed to bring me down to earth a bit and be absolutely forensic with my costings!

Best business advice you’ve gotten
Figure out your signature style/what makes you stand out and lean into it. For me, it’s my fabric manipulation and my original print designs which are two things I hope my brand is recognised for. Also, your career path doesn’t have to be linear! I found this difficult to accept as I’m such an impatient person, but the more I talk to people in my industry, the more it rings true. That’s another thing, reach out and ask your peers/people you admire for advice because everyone started somewhere!

Favourite fashion/design accounts you follow
@shrimptoncouture – she sells the most incredible vintage and runway pieces and is such a wealth of knowledge; @jennywalton – she has so much fun with fashion, I want her entire wardrobe!; @millerbrothersstone for interior inspiration, I dream of having a marble bathroom and walk-in wardrobe from them one day!; @tinaleung for outfit inspiration, she always looks amazing and doesn’t take herself too seriously which I love; @driesvannoten – I’m forever obsessed with his work; @natashasherling – her jewellery is so me… dainty and sparkly. I love watching her stories and learning about the different gems that she has expertly sourced; @lwpearlatelier – Laura is flying the flag in New York, creating bespoke embellishments and runway pieces for the likes of KHAITE and Gabriella Hearst. The work she is doing with her team is utterly mesmerising!; @perfumistress Marija has the most enviable wardrobe and I love that she gets dressed up every day and doesn’t just save her beautiful clothes “for good wear”.

Best fashion purchase
My giant Maje Prince of Wales coat that I bought a few years ago. It’s got a good wool content so it’s nice and warm and the roominess means I can wear my most voluminous outfits underneath without squishing them!

Other Irish brands you love
Gabrielle Malone for delicious chunky knits, Nicki Hoyne (I live in my silver glitter mules), Sorcha O Raighlaigh for lovely sparkly things, and Begley&Bowie for running around doing errands!

Most useful learning since setting up a business
You have to create your own opportunities, it’s not enough to hope they come to you. You have to ask for what you believe you deserve and work hard to achieve it. I know that the topic of manifesting has become a buzzword and has people divided, but I’ll just say, don’t knock it until you have actually tried it! Most people manifest without realising it – in both good and bad ways!

Proudest moment so far
This would have to be being invited to sell my collection in Brown Thomas as part of their CREATE project last year. If that wasn’t exciting enough, I was tasked with creating a bespoke look for one of their windows on Grafton Street. I still can’t believe it.

I want my brand to be remembered for… bringing fun, memorable dress-up moments into women’s lives that last beyond a season

If I could have anyone wear my designs it would be… Jenny Walton or Anya Taylor Joy.