Limerick designer sets her sights on the Big Apple
LIMERICK designer Aoife McNamara has set her on America with her fashion label, Aoife Ireland.
"International growth is one of our biggest goals in the coming year, my choice of market that I am planning on going into is New York, the US market.
"One of the main reasons is because of our beautiful cottage in Adare, we have so many Americans coming in and they really, truly love the brand and they love the story and also because I lived in New York, I worked in New York, I know what they wear, I know the style, I know the customer.
"When I was working with Marc Jacobs I figured that out over there and I suppose that’s always been a dream of mine to pursue and have a pop up store in New York, Soho or Brooklyn or somewhere like that," explained Aoife.
While she visualises New Yorkers wearing her Irish wool and tweed garments, she envisages the Californian customers donning her Irish linen and organic cottons.
"I think they are totally different customers, living by the seaside and living in the busiest city in the world, you have to be dressed in different attire, I can see the brand in California just as much as I can in New York," she explained.
The 27 year old has become known for her conscious clothing, Irish materials and sharing her ethos with her customers through social media and with in-person events, which she holds in her cottage in Adare Village.
"The big thing for me and why I decided to do community events, is when I started my brand I had my ‘why’ and I know I want to make clothes to help make a change but I also I feel in me creating sustainable clothes I also need to be able to educate my consumers in why they are buying sustainable clothes, why are the buying the higher priced mark, it’s all about creating that conscious consumer," she added.
While speaking on the Tech Powered Luxury podcast, she explained the importance of the soil to soil process and making garments that are environmentally friendly.
"I feel like bringing my brand back to basics and meeting people in person, chatting to customers, also seeing the design, what they love, what they don’t love, also being able to educate them in person was a huge part of my want to meet people in person," she said.