Even as a youngster, Síofra Caherty always knew that she wanted to be a designer. After many years working in the fashion industry, from couture fashion in New York to a stint with adidas in Germany and costume breakdown on Game Of Thrones, she was inspired to launch her own brand, Jump The Hedges. Specialising in bags, her designs are sustainable, ethically made and use reclaimed materials such as truck tarpaulin and aeroplane seat materials sourced from all over Ireland.
Jump The Hedges is a sustainable design studio.
We are mainly known for our bags made from reclaimed truck tarpaulin and aeroplane seat parts, however, we do a lot more than just bags. We use the brand as a platform for sustainable activism; from creating sustainable products to speaking at events and festivals to leading workshops in communities and schools.
Our mission is to challenge people’s perception of waste material, recognise the connection between farming and fashion and to empower our community to make their own environmental contributions.
I always wanted to be a fashion designer, I have no memory of wanting any other career!
I did not grow up around fashion or art but everyone I knew either worked with their hands, the land or in teaching. This was a different kind of creativity to grow up around and allowed me to recognise the different ways we can live a creative life.
I work off a ‘drop’ system which means my online store is closed basically 364 days a year and opens one day seasonally to ‘drop’ the bags.
I currently have four styles of bags; fanny bags, stash bags, tote bags and yoga bags. For the last four years, every drop has sold out within a couple of hours with the majority gone within the first 30 minutes. Selling in this manner allows me to exist sustainably as a small business as I am able to focus my time on manufacturing when the shop is closed.
Prior to launching Jump The Hedges, I worked as a designer for adidas in Germany.
I loved that job but I always felt so conflicted due to the environmental damage caused by the fashion industry. In response to this frustration, I have spent the last number of years developing a ‘farm to garment’ project. This project has brought me from hanging out with farmers in cotton fields in Greece to weaving and sewing factories in Portugal. It’s an exciting period for Jump The Hedges, seeing all this hard work come to fruition.
I don’t feel hugely inspired by the fashion industry as there is so little transparency or honesty; when you scratch the surface, very few brands are truly sustainable.
I am much more inspired by the food industry which, in developing a farm-to-table movement, paved the way for the farm-to-garment movement. I am inspired by trailblazers in any industry who are working from an obvious grassroots level. I am also a huge fan of Haeckls, a skincare company based in Margate, England. They are so progressive and environmentally focused in their product development and their community engagement.
I worked several jobs alongside the business when I first started and still do.
During Covid, I was forced to work full-time at the business as I lost all my part-time teaching work. I put the drop system in place and felt great freedom during this time to experiment with my business model. I currently teach at NCAD alongside running the business which is not easy to manage but I get such good energy from working with students that it is worth it. Having a consistent income, no matter how small, alongside a creative business allows you greater freedom in your decision-making. I am very proud that several of my former students have gone on to set up their own businesses; @imaraearth, @hanclothingofficial, @by.eln.
The best advice I’ve ever gotten is that you have to be in business to be in business.
So often we can get distracted with the vanity measures of social media and overthinking small decisions that we forget that we have to just keep the money coming in.
Social media is fake; you have no idea what support other businesses are getting or if they are actually even bringing in any money.
Comparison is the thief of joy so stop wondering about other businesses and get on with developing your own work!
Winning the RDS craft award in 2022 is my proudest moment so far.
I am not interested in influencers and feel so proud when I spot a ‘normal’ person cycling past me wearing one of my bags.
These ‘normal’ people are who my business is built upon. I am so grateful that they choose to spend their hard-earned cash with me and without them, I wouldn’t have a business. I want my brand to be remembered for trying to make a difference.
Imagery courtesy of Síofra Caherty
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