Rosie O’Reilly is a woman of many stripes and much passion. The brains behind ethical fashion label We Are Islanders, and the creative head of fashion initiative ReDress, Rosie is committed to promoting and leading the way for better and more sustainable fashion in Ireland. Taking her inspiration from more than just the beauty she sees around her, O’Reilly tells us about how she really began her work as a response to the injustices and serious issues that engulf the modern generation, and that she now invites the public to engage with fashion – these “unavoidable commodities” – in a new way, through a new story. Totally Dublin talks with this very passionate and inspiring native creative.
First of all, I love the jacket you’re wearing (an over-sized white garment with colourful paint splashed across), is this your own and do you always wear your own creations?
Yes, that’s one from Spring/Summer. I get all the basics from elsewhere and then I’d tend to wear my own pieces as the key pieces of most outfits. This one is actually a piece that I grabbed on my way from my set in Made in The Powerscourt Townhouse Centre.
How did you set up We Are Islanders?
I studied Philosophy and Sociology in college and created a label with a friend immediately after that and from there started making my way into the fashion industry. However, once I started scratching the surface I actually backed out of it a bit because I was learning about the ethical implications of production and I think once you start learning those facts it’s kind of hard to keep going forward. So then I set up an organisation called ReDress running events in Dublin, and it was through that that I noticed the need for an Irish brand that would put Ireland on the map in terms of raising the flag for our amazing resources here, like fibre production, weaving, textile mills, etc.
It really all stemmed from an art project I was doing at the time for the Dublin Fringe which was looking at rising sea levels and tipping points, which was a performance piece on the strand which dyed clothes with the tide. That was the opening conversation of the brand, and it essentially said that we need to start having bigger conversations than the ones we are having now, and the clothing label is about taking those conversations and applying them to a commodity that everyone has a need to engage with on a daily basis. As for the name, that kind of came from just thinking about how everyone is a bit of an islander in the world, and thinking about the social and environmental issues that face our generation today.
Is it difficult to sell clothes at the price point you are at in Dublin?
In a way, yes. Our prices aren’t really that considerable compared to the rest of Europe, it’s just about getting people to understand that high quality materials and high quality local production do cost more. With our label you’re not buying something that is a disposable item of clothing, you’re buying something that has a story, like a hand-painted piece where every mark is different. But the reception here is really good, people do buy it and we have lots of regular customers, it’s just that Ireland is a small place, so it’s always going to be a challenge.
I think people sign up to the brand because there is a desire for a different story from commodity purchases. But, yeah, of course it’s going to be a challenge when you’re trying to sell a product with a price that reflects this individualistic and ethical essence.
Did you start We Are Islanders alone originally, or was someone there alongside you all the way?
I started We Are Islanders via the Dublin Fringe art project originally, and then Deirdre [Hynds] and Kate [Nolan] joined in 2012. Now Deirdre looks after communications and Kate does production, so the three of us run it together.
Did you train-up or take courses before setting out on the label?
Yes, I did night courses and then went on to do a design course where I studied a bit of pattern drafting as I was doing it but I think I was more interested in the installations… But pattern drafting is a great skill to have. I grew up with a sewing machine in the family and I can appreciate that it’s one of those things that’s great to have throughout your life.
What’s the fashion industry like in Dublin at the moment?
There are great graduates coming out of NCAD right now, and there are more people staying here and producing in Ireland and trying to stay put, which is a big thing. We’ve been exporting designers for so long and to have an industry here you need people to stay and produce here, use local materials, get to know the people in the industry, go visit the weavers, all those things that join the dots. There’s loads of dots in Ireland that make up the industry, it’s the joining of them has been the problem. But I think the Crafts Council are trying to take that on and provide more resources for designers, which is great.
I feel like every time I walk through the city I see a new shop, even these vintage stores that are re-opening stores that had once disappeared – it’s fantastic to witness this resurgence in entrepreneurship, and with that always comes a knock-on effect, or so I hope!
You try to use only sustainable materials, from organic and fair trade cotton to Irish wools and organic salmon leather. Do you find it hard to upkeep your commitment to source eco-friendly, sustainable, Irish produce?
For me it’s about looking at alternative options. You’re never going to be able to do everything perfect, as much as you might want to, sometimes the supply chain just doesn’t allow you to do that. But the more creative you think about supply chains and costs, the easier it gets. Trying to do something on a small scale always makes your costs slightly more prohibitive, but that’s why the hand painting was a great solution for me because it meant I could just take white fabric at a basic cost and find a way to manipulate that fabric and change it so that it could be created into a one-off piece. I really think the challenge lies in how you think about something, and that goes for any situation.
Have you any exciting projects coming up in the future?
I’m going to be doing this installation in London called The Skip Gallery. Myself and my friend Olivia [Hegarty] will be creating an installation in a skip outside a gallery in London Central, it’s a piece that will be related to the issue with Calais and migration, something which I feel very passionate about. I’m just working on that now, and then a couple of other installation pieces as well, but I can’t say any more really!
Beck’s have a longstanding involvement in artistic movements around the word and have recently launched a new campaign called BeKreativ, which is showcasing creative talent from around Ireland for the next few years. Check out Beck’s BeKreativ campaign at #BeKreativ and bekreativ.ie
