Investing in fashion

BORN in the Caribbean to an Irish father and a Spanish mother, designer Eilis Boyle did not have a stereotypical upbringing. After studying fashion in Madrid, she moved to Ireland in 2001. Nearly a decade on, the Meath resident is travelling to Clare to take part in Ennis Fashion Fortnight.
“I was in Ennis a very long time ago. I’d say it must have been seven or eight years ago. I’m looking forward to coming back. It is always a good place to visit,” she told The Clare Champion.
Eilis is known for her rich, feminine pieces but as she freely acknowledges, her price point “doesn’t suit a lot of boutiques”. That said, even during this recession, her designs are proving popular.
“When the times were booming, my gross was very stable. Because I had an understated, very niche market that hasn’t changed, my pieces still appeal to people who are looking for long-term investments. What I think has happened is my market has grown because people who were buying on impulse are now buying more thoughtfully. For people who design classic and quality pieces, I think there is a bigger market than before,” she explained.
Eilis has noticed an increasing polarisation in terms of people’s purchasing patterns.
“I have a very diverse price point. My ranges go from about €100 to more than €1,000. The higher and lower ends are selling well but I find the items in the mid-range are not selling as well. There is a trend that particularly luxurious pieces are selling well.
“Once upon a time, people would buy a dress for each wedding they would go to. Now they want to buy something that lasts and then change the accessories and perhaps get a year’s wear out of it,” she continued.
Eilis describes her designs as “timeless, classy and feminine with an edge”.
“I love to work in silk, in most of its forms. All the fabrics I use are natural. I love working with silks and chiffons and structured silks in dresses. In knitwear I work with cashmere and I don’t work with any other yarn,” she explained.
“My customer is mature, not in age but in state of mind. Because the pieces are expensive, they are investments so I don’t think people buy them on an impulse, they are really thought out. The age group stretches from 20 to 70-years-old. It is about a state of mind and someone who wants something that will last a long time,” she defined.
In her own life, Eilis is not a follower of fashion so much as a lover of style.
“I don’t buy clothes that often. I keep things for years. I got a present of top maybe 15 years ago and that is one of my favourite pieces that I got as a gift. My favourite purchase was a Dries Van Noten white shirt. It is very understated. I think that represents my personality. I don’t want something that takes over. I am a very mixed person but I think I am very quiet in terms of my style. I am expressive in my work but not through how I dress,” she outlined.
Next Wednesday, Eilis will be in Ennis at the Ennis Fashion Fortnight Autumn/Winter Collection fashion show at Shiels showroom on the Gort Road in Ennis beginning at 8pm.
“Events like the ones taking part during Ennis Fashion Fortnight are always a great way to get the community to come together. As a designer, it is rare we get to meet shops and customers and designers all at once but there is always one or two events where you get away from your workspace and meet other people in the industry. This is a real highlight and I am incredibly honoured that they asked me to be part of it,” Eilis concluded.