Charlotte Ryan speaks to Irish designer Rachel Maguire of Rashhiiid about relocating her atelier to Paris, designing for stars like SZA and Megan Thee Stallion and attending Paris Fashion Week shows with a bag full of lipgloss and business cards.
The last time I spoke to Rachel Maguire, it was at the launch of Brown Thomas's Create showcase in 2023 when the designer had been hand selected to present her work - jaw-dropping streetwear pieces that combine sultry silhouettes and animalistic fabrics like faux fur and leather - and told me she was "in very deep" with her work.
Jump forward two years and the Dubliner has relocated her atelier to Paris, designed countless pieces for stars like Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion and most recently SZA and been selected as one of the chosen few Irish designers to present at the inaugural Ireland Fashion Week this October.
It's a dizzying turn around for Maguire, but the entrepreneur has been ready for it for years. Here, we spoke about high -profile collaborations, connecting with her buyers on- and offline, and her tricks for competing on the fashion world stage in Paris.
We just saw SZA wearing one of your designs, joining a growing list of stylish tastemakers in the music world like Doja Cat and Kali Uchis. What is it like seeing your designs on the world stage like this, does it ever feel less surreal?
It's very cool that Irish fashion is being represented on a world stage by popular international artists, and it’s a dopamine hit on a personal level because she is one of my favourite artists, so dressing her has been a goal of mine since beginning my brand.
But if I’m honest, as the years have gone on, what means more to me is the "Mary" from rural Ireland who sends me a cheque in the post with a handwritten letter because she isn’t familiar with Instagram and "needs" one of my hats.
In the past, celebrity endorsements felt great because they helped with credibility at the beginning, but you come to realise that it’s just playing the game and isn’t so fulfilling after all.
As my brand has matured, it feels much more meaningful connecting with real customers who tell me they can express themselves through my bold pieces and that they will wear them time and time again.
Talk to me about how this collaboration with SZA came about.
Her stylists reached out for a custom piece, social media gives us incredible access to people we would never walk past on the street. That being said, by chance, while she was here for her Paris shows, her personal shopper bought a few pieces from a one-of-a-kind collection I created for a luxury boutique "Nouvelle Rive" in le Marais Paris, which I’m thrilled is selling quite well.
The bodysuit I created for SZA I was so happy to see fit perfectly over her body, it’s always a risk when creating custom pieces, and you can’t do a fitting before with the artist to ensure it’s perfect. Her team have a few more of my designs for the rest of the tour, so hopefully I see them worn.
What was the vision for this piece for SZA, how did you think about it in relation to her image and style?
She has a very unpredictable personal style, which is very exciting to watch and the reason we created multiple different looks. You never know if your pieces will be the ones selected in the final fitting. The vision was sexy, bold, showstopping and most importantly unrestrictive because SZA can break out into the splits.
You've moved your work to Paris. How has that transition been, and what is it like working in the fashion industry there? Has it changed your business compared to working from Dublin?
It’s been pivotal on a personal and professional level; I’m working in an industry that Paris is seen as the epicentre of, so there’s no doubt that absorbing and assimilating from others in the industry has been invaluable to me.
Not to mention experiencing the real-life benefits of networking during fashion weeks. I always make sure I’m going to the right events dripping in my own designs (with a handbag full of only lip gloss house keys, and a stack of business cards). You can bump into your favourite celebrity who compliments your pieces and when [told that] you made them, then asks to visit your studio to purchase something the next day.
The amount of talent and publications over here just means more opportunities. It has been both humbling and inspiring, humbling because you’re just a drop in the ocean in Paris, inspiring because I want to compete, and at an international level.
Yes, it has changed my business. I am a stranger here in Paris, so I have to work harder. Sometimes I miss being at home in Ireland, where people love to support Irish businesses and where I still rely and focus on the market. In Paris, it’s extremely competitive; I’m still figuring out how to keep up. I am helped by working with a great Parisian PR agency, who give my pieces to the right publications and talent to position my brand in the French market.
You'll be at Ireland Fashion Week later this year, what can fans expect from your presentation and what has preparing for that been like?
Wow, that’s a scéal eile. I have locked myself away to figure out the new direction I want to take my brand in and to execute that correctly. I feel honoured to be part of it, the bravery of Ireland Fashion Week in making this happen is something I had to be a part of and align with.
I am using this as an opportunity to challenge myself, to create new designs in new materials. The pressure of innovating my brand and stepping away from faux fur is something that appeals and scares me at the same time.
But Ireland Fashion Week is the perfect platform for me to do just that, take risks and take my brand to the next step. I’m trying to see it as a journey, not a destination…
