Irish brand Urban Aran has been given a prime spot on the second floor of Brown Thomas in Dublin City Centre as part of the Celebrating Irish Designers showcase.
A collection designed and crafted in Ireland, made from pure fine merino wool spun and milled using up to four colours of double twisted merino yarn, the sustainably-minded designs have become a favourite of celebrities like Laura Whitmore and Aisling Bea.
We caught up with founder Christine Murphy to discuss her colourful designs, the collection's commitment to sustainability, and her advice for up-and-coming designers.
As an Irish designer, how does it feel to have a home in Brown Thomas?
It's amazing. My location in the store is beside the very famous Jonathan Anderson, and that's an honour in itself, to be in such prestigious company.
Were you always interested in fashion?
I actually trained in the hotel industry, and while it wasn't fashion, I did work in the luxury end of the sector. Uniform was hugely important, and I was very involved in interior projects from a design perspective. I guess that love of art that I had as a child, and had studied for in the Leaving Cert, came out in a very unexpected way!
What led you to design?
I was fascinated by textures, and textures that were hard-earning - ones lasted a long period of time. They really intrigued me and were much kinder to the environment. I went back to Limerick College of Art and Design out of sheer fascination. It was a passion or a hobby to nurture - that's how I explained it to myself at the time.
Tell me about starting Urban Aran.
That is very much not a hobby! That is a business. I think that's one of the key, important traits of Urban Aran, and it's good advice for any designers: you must treat it like a business. We love the design part and the fashion part, but the only way it will exist is if you keep up with your Excel sheets.
What was your vision for the business?
I always knew that making in Ireland was really important to the brand name.
It makes life so much easier to go to my colleagues and speak with them, and, environmentally, I don't have that long transportation process. It's very seamless. I work with An Post, and they work with electric cars, so it all chips into my brand values.
How else do you incorporate sustainability? I read that your buttons are crafted from 25% vegetable waste!
Yes, it took me a long time to source these. They're not Irish, but it's a natural process that they go through, so it's a vegetable product that is in the button. You would never think it by looking at it. They're really hard, really durable, and no synthetic fibres through it. They're not fully vegetable - I've yet to source that - but it took me a long time to source that particular button. I love it, too, because it has a lovely navy and black hue to it.
A lot of my pieces are fully fashioned - most of them are, in fact - which means that it's not a cut-and-sew process. The design means that the piece is knitted in one shape, which reduces waste.
They are made on a German knitting machine called a Stoll, which allows me to do the technique of jacquard. Jacquard is where you can weave a design through the fabric. The outside is jacquard, and the reverse is birdseye, which means it can be worn on the reverse. You have different patterns on each side of the garment.
How would you describe your style?
My brand is not for everybody. It's extremely creative and very patterned, there's lots of colour in it. I often spend time styling my customers or getting them familiar with the brand. I want my customers to be able to make the pieces work with their wardrobes.
Are there any favourites?
I'm becoming known for being a brand that has a neon piece in every collection. And pink! We subconsciously love pink. In Ireland, our skin can be paler, and even if we do tan well, we're naturally paler in winter, so pink adds a natural hue to the skin tone. That's why I sell a lot of brighter colours. Irish women are very drawn to the bright colours in my collection.
Aisling Bea and Laura Whitmore have been spotted in your designs recently.
I know! It's amazing. I keep in touch with them, and they've been really kind to the brand. It's created a whole new audience for me in the UK - and Ireland, of course. The UK would be a new market for me, though, so getting that support and help from Irish actresses overseas has been incredible for the brand.
The Celebrating Irish Designers showcase runs until Monday, 25 August, on Level 2 of Brown Thomas Grafton Street.
