West Cork fashionista Alice Halliday brings style & substance to Eire’s southern coast.

I was born in Bristol England, but my parents moved to their homestead in West Cork when I was a baby. So, to me, this is home, and West Cork is where I have settled and put my roots down, and where I am raising my own family. 

I was 9 years old when I decided that I wanted to be a fashion designer. Fashion was always in my blood, and the women in my life were a big inspiration: watching my mother sewing and mending, trying on clothes that my late granny Isobel had made for herself, making fashion cut-out dolls with my auntie Sukey, dressing up with my sister Libby using scarves and vintage clothes from a big, tattered suitcase. We would even host fashion shows for our parents in the kitchen, and invented a game called ‘This is the Latest Fashion’.

My work and my creative spirit is such an integral part of who I am, I feel this pulse of inspiration to make things, running through my veins. I design and create for my own peace of mind, it keeps me happy and more balanced. Most of all, I am truly passionate about contributing to slow, sustainable fashion. It brings me great fulfilment to breathe new life into old materials that are full of beauty and steeped in history. 

I draw inspiration from nature, particularly flowers, and from the beautiful landscapes around me; meadows, woodlands, hedgerows, beaches. The materials I find, whether antique lace, vintage trimmings, or natural foraged treasures, are what inspire my designs – I let them guide me, draping on the mannequin or on the body, arranging different layouts and combinations on my desk, or sometimes on the floor. My work is intricate and often labour intensive, and my garments are constructed through delicate hand-stitching, with a little machine sewing. Pieces can take weeks, months, even years to complete. It is definitely slow fashion. The aim is zero waste, to use up every piece of the fabric. As the materials are all reclaimed and repurposed, a design will never be able to be fully replicated. As such, no two pieces are the exact same, each creation is a wearable work of art, made with nature at heart.

I have kept my signature style throughout the evolution of my brand – a very bohemian aesthetic. I have a range of designs that customers can choose from and then have customized. I have expanded my range of offerings over time. As well as focusing on ethereal event wear and bohemian bridal wear, I also make accessories and headpieces, alongside styling for personal, editorial and branding photoshoots, as well as teaching flower crown making workshops for bridal blessings, retreats and group gatherings.

www.alicehalliday.com
@alicehalliday