This month, Fashion Editor Polly Rogers caught up with Grace Ní Mhealláin, who at just 20 years old, is already an up-and-coming Irish fashion designer and entrepreneur who has taken to the ground running in the last two years with her gorgeous Gaelic pieces!
Fashion has always been a love for Grace Ní Mhealláin. She started off in childhood making dresses for dolls as a hobby. After her A-levels, she decided to pursue this as her passion and career. Grace has a diploma in fashion which she received from Belfast MET, where she refined her sewing skills and pattern-making on human-sized garments. Her skills are undeniable, but she also has something that can't be taught: her creativity!
Dotted throughout her designs, we can see how an Irish influence is ever-present, the driving force that connects all her work. A little stamp of Irish heritage means a lot to Grace and is one of the reasons she makes the pieces she does. These clothes create a community through Irish symbols. “The Claddagh collection began because I didn't know how to express myself, but I think this might last longer because it's something that people appreciate.” Having taken off in the last year, we see the design roaming Irish streets on necklaces and earrings, scarves and rings. Grace was doing it far before the trend caught up with her! Starting off with a Claddagh t-shirt which Grace designed herself for a night out, it was quickly the hottest item of clothing within her friend group as soon everyone wanted one! Ideal for when we are feeling patriotic towards our emerald isle, the connection that a simple symbol like a Claddagh can make with a stranger is incredible, creating an invisible bond and community.
A large part of Grace's vision and brand is how to extend garments longevity and combat overconsumption with the slow fashion movement. “My whole thing is sustainability, so making something out of a repurposed material and something that can be worn again, and again, and again!” This is not just something Grace claims - we can see she actively implements sustainability by using repurposed materials that she sources herself second-hand. Not only does this make her pieces environmentally conscious, it also provides the best quality for her customers.
“The fabric that's being produced now, it is expensive, and also it's not as high quality as this pair of curtains that are a third of the price!”
Most striking in Grace’s designs is their originality. They’re not merely mass produced items of clothes but her own patterns, upon asking about where the inspiration for this comes from we went down a nostalgic rabbit hole, “I think with everything that exists especially in Irish culture everything takes influence from something.”
Upon researching Irish clothing during her fashion course, Grace was frequently presented with traditional Irish dancing dresses, different from the glitz and glam of today's, the more simple designs called out to her and she began reminiscing. “I always wanted to be an Irish dancer and I remember getting to see all my friends wear the outfits”. With her own spin and the influence from the traditional sashes that are often seen with these gúnas, she created her intricate vision. Grace's designs are the perfect mix of trend with a nod to tradition, and while you can style and wear them in any setting or place, she's still working to greater increase the wearability of her pieces, starting to work her way into an accessory line which would feature scarves, bags, belts and more! As Grace said herself, “Anything that can be worn repeatedly!”
Social media has been an excellent aid towards small creatives and artists in Ireland since craft markets and stalls had to move online due to the pandemic, helping to promote and publicise small businesses nationwide, if not internationally! Grace initially found virality from a TikTok wearing her signature Claddagh top. She followed and partook in Irish trends, using sounds from bands such as Kneecap or Fontaines DC to help reach her target audience of customers! Grace only releases her clothing in drops, which sell out fast! Follow her on Instagram, @gracenimheallain or TikTok @gnimheallain. Remember to keep an eye out for her next drop so you can snag a Grace Ní Mhealláin for your own wardrobe!