Boyle's law

FASHION: Eilis Boyle's clothes are simply wonderful – the individual pieces can be used in a variety of ways and over years to come. The award-winning designer uses soft monochromes that can be dressed up or down, and makes the most of Irish linen

HERE IS YET another lovely collection from Eilis Boyle, photographed on three young models in the atmospheric surrounds of Killeen House in Co Meath. The cinematic, slightly melancholic mood was inspired by early Ingmar Bergman movies, but the clothes are of today, tomorrow, and yesterday as Boyle might say, and very much her signature.

“It’s hard for me to close a book on one season and open a chapter on another because pieces are still current,” she says.

The short black organza dress and jacket, for example, was a style from the autumn/winter 2008 season “which I just couldn’t discontinue”. Customers are attracted to the feminine and romantic in her clothes, but she argues that the pieces “are quite adaptable and can be worn dressed down with boots so the style can be edgier.”

Her fabrics are languid and supple: cotton, tulle, taffeta and silk organza in colours such as oyster and cream as well as her familiar monochromes. “I like using soft fabrics. I start by thinking I want to do contrasts of light and structure, mixing masculine with feminine with the idea of combining the two looks. I find that very interesting, but eventually it filters down and the collection is predominantly soft rather than structured.” One pretty fabric is a manually loomed Indian cotton that comes in 12-metre lengths in colours that can’t be repeated.

Like many young Irish designers she is struggling at the moment, but determined to carry on despite the setbacks. This is her sixth season selling in Japan and though she finds the Japanese inconsistent in their buying, one shop has remained steadfast. “People who are not buying big labels are buying product and design, so brand loyalty is not important to them. I have been lucky with new US customers, but bigger shops were down by 50 per cent.”

When one of her biggest customers in France closed down, it ended her plans for expansion because she can’t afford insurance this year. But she remains positive and believes that many well-established shops, which were prepared for the crisis and cut down on their orders, are now reordering. “The way the fashion industry dictated how we work – all those early deliveries and tighter margins and huge pressure – it was all about volume and speed and was very damaging for small designers.”

But other ideas are taking root. She and designer Helen James are planning a future joint non-fashion project “because I have so many passions. I love cooking, gardening, travelling – and fashion is so time-consuming that I need to have the excuse to venture into other areas.”

Eilis Boyle’s complete collection can be found in Kalu, Naas. Other stockists include Macbees in Killarney, Passenger in Clifden and JuJu in Greystones.