The conversation around fashion is changing. The climate crisis has forced us all to look into our wardrobes and at the rapidly bankrupting high-street behemoths that once filled shopping centres and lined the most famous streets in the world. Now, it seems our options have been split into extremes. Topshop and forever21 could not compete with the bottom-of-the-barrel prices of online retailers like Shein or Pretty Little Thing, but as the true impact of fast fashion on both the environment and the people employed within it has been illuminated to the public, from using dangerous chemicals, mountains of garment waste, and factory collapses, the tides have finally started turning back towards a need for quality. Slow fashion, whether buying second-hand or supporting small businesses, is the new mainstream. TN2 has had the pleasure of speaking with one of the most exciting new Irish designers to come out of this movement, Gemma Holden of Apricity Ireland. Here is what she had to say to us.

 

Hi Gemma! So, what’s your story? How did you get into designing? 

For as long as I can remember I’ve been interested in fashion. When I was younger, I used to love watching sewing videos on youtube and making clothes for my dolls. Obviously, I had no idea about proper sewing techniques at the time, but I just loved being able to create stuff.

 

Are you studying fashion design?

I did a plc course in fashion design last year after I finished school. But this year I decided I wanted to pursue fashion full-time, so as we speak I’m a few days away from starting a level 8 fashion design course. 

 

Why did you decide to create Apricity?

I’ve always loved the idea of having my own business. I love being in control of my day-to-day life so working a 9-5 was never something I saw myself doing full. I’ve had a few jobs working in thrift shops and clothing stores, but creating my own products was something I have always been very passionate about. 

Are there any artists, movements, or aspects of life that inspired your vision for Apricity?

I think my own personal style is where my vision for Apricity originally began. I love wearing clothes that I think most people would probably consider to be a niche style and a bit more unconventional. I think in the past few years people in Ireland have started to gain the confidence to explore their personal style and wear things that are a little more out there, and I wanted Apricity to be the type of brand that can reflect this change. Of course, there are so many fashion designers that I look up to like Vivienne Westwood and Donatella Versace, but I think my heart will always lie with small designers.

 

What does sustainable mean to you? I see you’re a slow fashion brand; how are you defining this and why is it important to you?

To me, being sustainable is cutting down on the amount of clothing that we consume. In recent years I’ve taken a long hard look at the way I have contributed to the fast fashion industry by buying unnecessary amounts of clothing. I recently read somewhere that over 10,000 items of clothing are thrown into landfill every five minutes. This is a statistic that I don’t want to be a part of any longer. 

I decided that I wanted Apricity Ireland to be a slow-fashion clothing brand. To me, slow fashion means cutting down on the number of products being created. To do this, I plan to slowly release a small selection of products over a long period of time to encourage consumers to stop impulse buying. I also produce clothes as they are ordered to ensure that no garment or material goes to waste. 

 

Thanks so much for chatting with us Gemma. So, finally, how has your launch gone? And what is in the future for Apricity? 

The launch was amazing! Ireland is such a great community for supporting local and small businesses, and I’ve received so much love from everyone. 

As for the future, I plan to expand on my core collection. I never want to push myself to release products that I’m not completely happy with in order to meet a certain quota or launch date. I think it’s important to create garments that I’m 100% satisfied with before I ask customers to be satisfied with them too.

All clothing is available at apricityireland.com 

They can also be found on Instagram @apricity.ireland