Irish fashion focus: ‘Taking inspiration from my granddad’s china helped immortalise him’ — designer Caoimhe Murphy

Fashion designer Caoimhe Murphy finds inspiration for her signature prints in everyday objects and the natural world. Patterns, playful silhouettes and personality characterise her label, which is produced utilising the skills of a social enterprise

Fashion designer Caoimhe Murphy wearing the 'Shelly' dress in blue, €420, caoimhemurphy.ie. Photo: Zoe Ardiff

'Sofia' top, €290; 'Audrey' skirt, €370, both caoimhemurphy.ie. Photo: Zoe Ardiff

'Shelly' dress, €420, caoimhemurphy.ie Photo: Zoe Ardiff

'Lisa' dress, €425, caoimhemurphy.ie Photo: Zoe Ardiff

'Fifi' dress, €425, caoimhemurphy.ie Photo: Zoe Ardiff

Fashion designer Caoimhe Murphy wearing the 'Shelly' dress in blue, €420, caoimhemurphy.ie. Photo: Zoe Ardiff

'Sofia' top, €290; 'Audrey' skirt, €370, both caoimhemurphy.ie. Photo: Zoe Ardiff

'Shelly' dress, €420, caoimhemurphy.ie Photo: Zoe Ardiff

'Lisa' dress, €425, caoimhemurphy.ie Photo: Zoe Ardiff

'Fifi' dress, €425, caoimhemurphy.ie Photo: Zoe Ardiff

Fashion designer Caoimhe Murphy wearing the 'Shelly' dress in blue, €420, caoimhemurphy.ie. Photo: Zoe Ardiff

Orla Dempsey

March 12 2023 02:30 AM

Caoimhe Murphy tells me: “We were clearing out my granddad’s house, who had recently passed away. We found all these china sets that never saw the light of day! They had such beautiful, intricate patterns .”

She was inspired by the crockery and began to sketch the patterns, then transferred her drawings to the computer where she could manipulate and rework them. “It was bittersweet. My grandfather passed away last Stephen’s Day. It was nice to go through all those pieces and memories and immortalise him in a way.”

Fashion designer Caoimhe Murphy wearing the 'Shelly' dress in blue, €420, caoimhemurphy.ie. Photo: Zoe Ardiff

Murphy updates the staple flower print through distortion and repetition. While the primrose flower is the main design throughout the collection, she also features illustrations of shells.

“There was this little china trinket dish shaped like a scallop shell with a flower pattern on the inside,” she says. “That’s where the shell print derived from.”

Once her fabric is printed on cotton, she sends it to the manufacturer, We Make Good. “They’re a social enterprise who hire refugees and people facing social challenges. They’ve been doing a lot of my production.” We Make Good supports its workers through employment and development of their skills.

“I wanted the silhouettes to be timeless,” Murphy says. “My baby-doll dress did really well in my last collection, so we’re doing a couple of versions again. They’re so comfy!”

'Shelly' dress, €420, caoimhemurphy.ie Photo: Zoe Ardiff

She was wearing one of these bestselling dresses when she caught the attenton of boutique owner Kate O’Dwyer, who runs Emporium Kalu in Naas, Co Kildare, alongside Louise Flanagan.

“I went into Kalu — I wanted to sell there so I thought I’d have a look around. The owner approached me and complimented my dress,” Murphy explains.

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“She’d actually noticed me earlier that day when I was getting a coffee! When she asked where it was from, I told her I had made it and asked if she’d be interested in stocking any of my clothing. I gave her my lookbook of my last couple of collections. It couldn’t have gone better — she noticed me before I even got a chance to approach her!”

A selection of Caoimhe’s designs are now available in Emporium Kalu, and the full collection can be found on caoimhemurphy.ie.

'Lisa' dress, €425, caoimhemurphy.ie Photo: Zoe Ardiff

Industry advice…

“You have to like what you’re doing. Don’t just do something because you think you’re meant to or because so-and-so is doing it,” advises Murphy. “You’ll lose interest and it shows if your heart’s not in it.”

Murphy emphasises the importance of believing in your own designs. “If you’re not excited about it, no one else will be.”

Like every other designer out there, she has faced moments of doubt.

“When I have those moments when I’m down on my work or think it’s a disaster and I panic, I remind myself it’s just clothes,” she explains. “I am not solving world hunger or saving lives. I just get to make something nice that brings people joy — and that is it.”