Interview: Lorna Daly, founder of When Poppy Met Daisy

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WORDS Louise Hynes

When Poppy Met Daisy is an eclectic sewing school founded in 2011 by Dublin-based designer, Lorna Daly. Situated in the heart of Dublin, the school offers an impressive range of courses that embed creativity and professional craftsmanship in each of its students. The school has been wildly successful since its launch and has acted as a strong advocate for the growth of the Irish fashion industry.

Why did you set up When Poppy Met Daisy? Was this a dream of yours that you actively pursued?
Where to start? Well I studied fashion design for nearly five years and was working in Topshop alongside my studies. When I completed my studies I dabbled in some freelance design and costume work and then went to London to work for the designer Hermione de Paula. It was an incredible experience working in London Fashion Week, especially with a textile designer as it is a different discipline entirely. I really wanted to be based in Dublin and was tired of all our talented designers having to emigrate to the likes of London and New York for work. I came home with an idea for something that I felt was lacking in Dublin, a fun, young, yet informative fashion school and from there When Poppy Met Daisy was born.

Can you talk briefly about the range of courses that you offer?
We will teach anything fashion or needle and thread related. Our most popular courses would certainly be dressmaking and fashion design which come in four week and six week courses and we also do a Victorian corsetry course. We offer a huge range of workshops such as: Make a Dress in a Day, Intro to Sewing, Basic Alterations, Millinery Fascinator, Peter Pan Collar, Digital Photography, Fashion Illustration, Photoshop, and Styling. We also do group classes and corporate events for team building, and Hen parties which are very popular.

It’s great that you offer such a wide range of innovative courses, particularly at a time when there is a rapidly growing interest in the Irish. Why do you think there is a sudden growth and interest in the industry?
Firstly there has been growth in fashion education in Ireland with more colleges opening their doors to fashion students, therefore producing a new pack of fresh designers. We have always been a country steeped in design; we have produced some of the most incredible designers such as Philip Treacy, and, in recent years, organisations such as DCEB and Craft Council of Ireland are creating opportunities for new designers which is such a fantastic opportunity domestically and also as an export. Many designers are producing collections on our own soil and it is creating a quick turn around in new designs. Stores like Brown Thomas and Arnotts are focusing on home grown talent and with the boom of pop up shops and design collectives it has never been more accessible for young designers to display their work.

You recently relaunched the school, could you share what you have in store for us in 2014?
Coming into 2014 I hope to push the school into a different direction entirely — offering accredited certified courses is certainly where I hope to be, alongside our new courses such as photography and styling. Also by mid-2014 I will have my own collection on offer, which is exciting!

Dressmaking, embroidery and sewing has always been a huge part in Irish social history, do you think possessing these skills are just as important in today’s society?
Certainly, you wouldn’t believe how much you could save! In our basic alteration class we teach you hundreds of euros worth of alterations, it’s a skill that you will always use, unless you choose to go nude! During the boom, clothing became so disposable to people; now I find people are investing in expensive lasting pieces, even from an ecological point of view, the thought of throwing away something with a ripped hem or broken zip shocks me.

The internet is having such a drastic impact on the fashion industry at the moment, do you think the free accessibility of tutorials on blogs and vlogs has affected the business of dressmaking schools?
Not really, I find if anything it drives people into our schools. It’s not easy to learn difficult skills from a YouTube tutorial, and there is no substitute for hands-on tuition and the option to ask a question. No one’s comprehension is the same as the next person, so sometimes tutorials can go right over someone’s head. I do recommend them to brush up on skills but I feel you need the basics first.

You’re a designer yourself, could you talk a bit about your own designs? What is your design philosophy?
I design for a practical but stylish lifestyle I guess, I do believe clothes should be flattering and for real women and, while trying to push the boundaries of design, this can be difficult. I love to use quality fabrics; I would design an entire collection of cashmere coats and leathers if I was allowed. My design philosophy is: Nothing’s perfect, do something instead of nothing! You will always improve. Also take inspiration from anything, it only has to be relevant to you. No one cares as long as the clothes are fabulous!

I dabbled into dressmaking a few years ago and realised that sewing, like anything else, requires patience, discipline and practice. How long would you recommend a beginner should spend practising on a day-to-day basis?
If you had the time I’d recommend all day, you will always learn something new if you keep trying. Even now I’m still learning and I expect to be for the rest of my career. I certainly would say that courses are much better than workshops if you can get the time as you have more time to absorb the knowledge and come back with questions the next week.

What’s the best piece of advice you could give someone who wishes to set up their own business?
DON’T GIVE UP! Keep working, if it’s not working, come up with a different angle, be good to your customers, be approachable and network! Ireland is small, the fashion industry is even smaller, don’t burn bridges!

And finally, for fun, if you could have designed any of the S/S 2014, Ready-To-Wear collections, which one would it be and why?
Haider Ackermann! He’s a bloody genius, simple as!

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