When I turned 30, I decided to find a more fulfilling lifestyle and everything changed.
So, after a lot of hard work and dedication, I finally found the courage to pursue a creative career. I am now 40 years old, running my own textile business and am very happy and proud of where I have reached.
Each garment in my ‘Grounded’ collection is made to order, handcrafted from Irish linen and designed to be worn separately or as a set.
This collection features four unisex capsule pieces that can be eco-printed or naturally dyed into your favorite botanical colors and prints using locally sourced vegetable dyes and flowers from my garden. There are four clothing options. A chore jacket, wide-leg drawstring pants, a loose-fitting shirt with a grandfather collar, and bohemian-style overalls with adjustable straps.
I am currently working on expanding my product offering in the near future as I prepare to trade at the RDS Showcase in January.
You’ll see some brand new eco-print accessories in both fashion and homeware. I hope to have some eco-print DIY kits available by Christmas. These kits give people the opportunity to try out the entire process in the comfort of their own home using dyed flowers that I harvested and pressed from my garden this year.
I think knitwear designer Ryan Koenig is very inspirational.
Originally from California, he immersed himself in Irish culture through Aran knitting. Most recently, we have recreated the only knitted cap pattern discovered in Ireland in 1847. And because I have a background in costume, I absolutely love what the team at Circular Costume Ireland are doing. They are successfully closing a huge sustainability gap in the film and theater industry, and we believe it is making a huge impact. They seem to be expanding very quickly and I can’t wait to see where they take things!
Funding is always a concern. Running your own business is a 24/7 job.
Other than investing in a photographer from time to time, you have to cut down on expenses by doing everything yourself. As a creator, I find it very difficult to take care of the marketing and administrative aspects of selling a product. It takes up most of my time and the actual production and design is always sidelined, making it very difficult to grow as a brand. It would be great to one day have a six-figure bank balance, but for now, we’re just celebrating each customer’s purchase and taking it one step at a time. I like to look back every now and then at how far Modh has come since it all started.
I don’t have a single piece of business advice, but I would recommend finding a business mentor.
Finding the right kind of support is invaluable, especially for the most inconvenient parts of your business. Earlier this year, I worked with an amazing woman to help with PR before launching her collection. I learned so much and I couldn’t have done it without her!
I have no interest in fashion brands at all, but am an avid vintage fan.
My favorite fashion piece is a blue vintage French work jacket that I bought over 10 years ago from a vintage shop I owned in London. I wear it every year and never get tired of it! I’m obsessed with jackets and love staple pieces. That’s the inspiration for my linen collection. Some of my favorite fashion/design accounts to follow are By the Moon Vintage, Ol Burkewen, Jen Byrne, Síne Vasquez, Alice Halliday, and Saltwater Design. In terms of Irish brands that I keep an eye on, I love Appleoak Fibreworks, Talú Earth, Hurst Botanicals, Nature Therapy Ireland, and Fabric Romance.
You have to be brave and try something scary.
I’ve put myself in many situations that are way outside of my comfort zone, but that’s the only way to grow and learn. In fact, I appeared on national television earlier this year, which was something I never dreamed of. But I did it and survived, and it worked very well!
My proudest moment so far has been winning this year’s DCCI Future Makers Award.
I want my brand to be remembered for creating garden-chic, sustainable linens. If anyone could wear my designs it would be James Blake. Maybe a little off-brand, but musical accompaniment while working is very important to me and he’s my all-time favorite artist, so his albums are the ones I always come back to. It’s no wonder we want to see him wearing fashionable floral linens. Maybe writing these words will make it a reality!
modi
Feature image by Aoife Long.
