What will I study during this BA (Hons) Fashion Buying & Merchandising course?

The aim of this course is to prepare graduates to secure employment in the fashion retail sector. The course content covers a broad range of fashion modules including fashion trends and consumer behaviour, fashion marketing, garment technology, visual merchandising and styling and business ethics, sustainability and CSR in fashion.

You will also learn about supplier relationships, key performance indicators, presentation skills and store merchandising so you understand how to maximise space to sales ratios. You will develop knowledge and skills in strategic planning and development for buying and merchandising.

Understanding garment production and technology are core skills of a buyer and/or merchandiser. To be successful, you need to understand the fundamentals of design, how a garment is constructed and how materials are sourced. We like to teach by doing! Portobello students learn how to sew and design, draft a pattern, consider appropriate materials and create a garment from scratch. Garment production and garment technology are two exciting modules on this course providing you with the innovative and essential knowledge to bring to your career.

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3

Study Skills for Higher Education (15 Credits)
Learning Outcomes of this module are:
1. Demonstrate ability to evaluate and plan for development of study skills and monitor achievement.
2. Reference other people’s work in a precise and systematic way.
3. Demonstrate ability to source appropriate information and reference 4
4. Reflect on learning and personal experiences as a student to foster a professional identity.
5. Use digital tools to complete and submit assessment components.
Culture & History of Fashion (15 Credits)
Learning Outcomes of this Module are to:
1. Summarize the chronological historical development and timeline of fashion evolution from the 1900’s to present. 
2.  Identify and analyze a range of primary and secondary sources relating to the history of fashion and textiles and situate them in cultural, economic, and political contexts.
1. Articulate the relationship between fashion, culture, and power.
Fashion Trends & Consumer Behaviour (15 Credits)
Upon completion of the module the students will be able to:
1. Define the key elements in trend forecasting, interpret trends and utilise data in product range development processes.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the major principles and techniques of gathering information about consumer behaviour.
3. Apply knowledge about specific consumer behaviours and buying habits to the decision- making process of fashion buyers, merchandisers, and managers.
Fashion Marketing (15 Credits)
The Learning Outcomes of this module are:
1. Analyse the business environment for fashion organisations, considering local and global perspectives.
1. Describe and constructively critique major marketing principles and concepts.
1. Design marketing strategies for organisations operating in the fashion industry drawing on major theoretical perspectives.
The Principles of Buying & Merchandising (30 Credits)

The Learning Outcomes of this Module are to:

LO1. Articulate the roles and responsibilities of buyers and merchandisers in fashion industry organisations.

LO2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the buying cycle and factors influencing it.

LO3. Identify customer profiling strategies used by fashion organisations.
Garment Technology (15 Credits)

The Learning Outcomes of this Module are to:

LO1. Evaluate and apply correct textile materials, equipment and mathematics required in apparel manufacturing.

LO2. Measure and record a variety of garments: blouses, pants, skirts, jackets, dresses, intimate apparel, and evaluate different methods used to measure garments in the industry and create garment specifications.

LO3. Scrutinize in the context of garment design; fit and appearance, properties of materials, and cutting techniques involved in the creation of a garment

LO4. Evidence and illustrate considered reflection on appropriate industry processes and applications within their personal creative and intellectual practice
Managing Global Fashion Supply Chains (30 Credits)
The Learning Outcomes of this Module are to:
1. Articulate the role of supply chain management in implementing the business strategy of companies.
2. Identify decision phases within the supply chain management and describe the main stages in the planning and coordination processes.
3. Examine commercial practices and supply chain networks strategies used by companies in the fashion industry.
4. Analyse the impact of disruptive technologies and sustainability concerns on global management of supply chains.

Innovation and Research Methods for Fashion – 15 Credits
The Learning Outcomes of this module are to:
1. Critically analyse examples of innovation in the world of fashion by drawing on theoretical perspectives and models.
2. Apply innovative approaches to solving problems in the fashion industry using available models and tools.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of major research methodologies and select appropriate research tools taking into account ethical issues.
Garment Production (15 Credits)
The Learning Outcomes of the Module are:
1. Evaluate the properties and performance in textile fabrics and materials in garment construction and select the most suitable for the assembly and construction of a garment/s.
2. Interpret and analyse manufacturing problems, finding solutions to solving garment engineering and wholesale production problems.
3. Select appropriate sources to gain relevant information on the manufacture of garment design, designed samples and wholesale production in the fashion industry.
The Business of Merchandising Planning (15 Credits)
The Learning Outcomes of this Module are:
- Utilize analytical and numerical skills to plan, prepare and execute merchandise plans
- Justify the importance of lead times and the use of the critical path model in the product development process and supplier management
- Appraise the key skills required for the role of the merchandiser with a particular focus on interdepartmental and interpersonal relationships.
Leading & Managing Diverse Organisations (15 Credits)

The Learning Outcomes of the module are to:

LO1:  Evaluate different models and theories of leadership and relate these to ethical dilemmas of leadership within a global context in the 21st century.

LO2. Outline the equality legislation and justify the importance of inclusive working environment for organisations within the fashion industry.

LO3: Employ reflective learning skills to relate models of leadership, change management and ethical issues to personal learning and practice.
Financial Decision Making for Fashion Managers (15 Credits)

Finance is an essential element of implementation of the business strategy in any organisation and managers need to understand key financial management issues, performance indicators and methodologies relating to financial management frameworks to ensure that appropriate decision-making and risk management processes are in place. This module focuses on fundamentals of financial management and explores financial decision-making approaches and control systems businesses use to make managerial decisions and their application in the unique context of the fashion business. The module will enable graduates to become informed participants in the decision-making processes regarding financial aspects of achieving objectives of the business.

The learning outcomes are:

LO1: Examine fundamental financial theories relevant to financial decision making and governance in the business of fashion.

LO2: Analyse and critically evaluate retail financial information using various analytical tools to support strategic financial decision making

LO3: Evaluate elements of risk, return and value in strategic operational financial decisions.
Fashion Buying & Merchandising – 30 Credits
This module content builds on the Principles of Buying and Merchandising module which provided students with introductory level knowledge about the processes of buying and merchandising. The emphasis is on development of practical and analytical skills required for sales forecasting and development of merchandise plans and completing buying cycles.

Students will acquire a strong knowledge base about the industry standards involved in the key areas such as product development, costings, allocation, distribution, and financial analysis of product ranges.

The module aims to:
- Develop knowledge about commercial practices employed by apparel companies in the buying and merchandising processes of products from source to store.
- Develop numerical skills and knowledge needed to conduct commercial calculations
- Develop understanding of the use of fibre, fabric, and garment technologies within the buying critical path in the product development process and supplier management
- Build an ability to recognise fashion trends and adapt to consumer buying habits
- Introduce established and emerging buying and merchandising technologies used to create mass production of ranges
- Develop research skills and ability to sources information required for decision-making processes
Visual Merchandising & Styling (15 Credits)

The Learning Outcomes of this module are:

LO1 Apply creative and visual sensibilities in a commercial context.

LO2 Evaluate the fashion retail environment and retail innovations used to improve the customer experience in stores, online and in mobile technology.

LO3 Articulate the processes, procedures and practices of fashion retail, marketing, management and buying and merchandising strategies and link to visual merchandising.

Business Ethics, Sustainability & Corporate Social Relationship in Fashion – (15 Credits)
The Learning Outcomes of this Module are to:
- Utilise analytical and numerical skills to plan, prepare and execute merchandise plans.
- Justify the importance of lead times and the use of the critical path model in the product development process and supplier management.
- Appraise the key skills required for the role of the merchandiser with a particular focus on interdepartmental and interpersonal relationships.
Professional Practice & Development (15 Credits)
The learning outcomes of this module are to:
1. Make critical connnections between learning across modules within the professional context of the fashion industry.
1. Reflect constructively on their personal and professional learning and set targets for the future development of knowledge, skills and competencies.
1. Produce an e-Portofolio as a tool to support personal and professional development throughout the programme and beyond.
Fashion Research Project (60 Credits)
The module builds on previously gained knowledge and research skills. It fosters student’s ability to plan, deliver and collate an individual research project relating to an area of their particular interest and make a contribution to the research base of the sector.

Students identify research topics based on the threads picked up from previous modules and engage in wide reading to formulate the research questions and propose methodology and research tools for their dissertation.

The project can be carried out through secondary or combination of primary and secondary research, however the students must justify their decisions about the use of methodological approaches and research tools.

The learning outcomes of this module are to:
- Formulate research questions and set clear and realistic research aims related to the areas fashion business, management, marketing, buying, or merchandising.
- Apply ethical frameworks throughout the research process.
- Draw on a wide range of sources to conduct a literature review into a specific area to describe, analyse and constructively critique theoretical perspectives and contexts relevant to the research question.
- Demonstrate competence in research skills through selection of appropriate tools for data gathering consistent with the chosen methodology.
- Draw on theory to analyse data and discuss research findings to develop credible arguments and generate appropriate conclusions/recommendations
Strategic Planning & Development for Buying and Merchandising (30 Credits)
The Learning Outcomes of this module are to:
- Constructively critique and relate major strategy management theories, frameworks, concepts to delivery of strategic change in an organization.
- Evaluate organization’s current product range from strategic perspective, considering internal and external contexts.
- Apply strategy tools and techniques to increase a company’s product range while addressing challenges of sustainable development.
- Appraise influence of organizational culture on the strategic decision-making process.

Programme Manager

Anne Marie McAuley

‘I absolutely love what I do and genuinely embrace supporting a person to develop and grow. I encourage and promote people at all levels to maximise their potential and hopefully instil a sense of purpose.

The are many careers one can pursue when completing a Portobello Institute fashion course. Part of my role is to help and support you to find the best path.’

ABOUT ANNE MARIE MCAULEY

After graduating from college in the USA with degrees in Business and Psychology, I initially worked as a milieu counsellor with young adults presenting with social and developmental difficulties – I was all about saving the world and think I still can – which was fantastic and the insights I gained in that role have helped me through my own journey to this day.

I always loved fashion, when I was small and then through my teenage years. I always wanted the latest trendy gear, constantly adapting my clothes myself to be a bit different. I was the first of my friends to have a pair of drainpipe jeans (known as skinnies these days!). I always had a part-time job in retail through school and in college at stores like Macy’s and Lord and Taylor.

My first job in a department store was at Christmas time and I was tasked with selling cashmere sweaters, the only section that the full-time and staff with tenure would allow me to work in as I was the ‘blown in college student’. I soon figured out that my best customer demographic was the panicked husband looking to purchase a gift for his wife and willing to spend ‘whatever to make her happy’ and of course who does not love cashmere – Cha-Ching! I did more in sales than anyone in the department and as we were commission-based, I was a very happy student. I was destined for a career in retail and fashion and I never forgot the importance of knowing your customer.

I then secured a job in Saks Fifth Ave as an assistant – really just running around New York picking up samples for photos, answering telephones, dressing mannequins, and doing whatever I was told to do, all the time absorbing and learning as much as I could. Back then being around designers like Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Ralph Lauren was an everyday occurrence.

I worked hard and soon became a junior buyer and then a senior buyer, I loved my job. I moved into the retail operations at Saks as I wanted to develop my skills and I found that leading, coaching, and developing people to also do well was one of my favourite parts of the job. I soon was heading up new store opening teams and one of my greatest achievements was the opening of the San Fran Store. It takes a huge team effort to train several hundred new staff and merchandise the store for opening. I travelled all over the country and enjoyed every day at Saks.

I moved back to Ireland where I secured the role of Retail Operations Manager of The Body Shop Ireland. I had always loved the product and admired their business ethos and not testing on animals. It soon became clear that there were huge challenges within the group around staff training and development which I embraced and was thrilled to be able to use my American experience to influence major decisions in changing the direction of The Body Shop. I also attended any training sessions that the company had for senior management to consistently develop my own skills in leadership and management. While at The Body Shop, I looked at how we could develop the business and came up with a body shop concession concept for pharmacies. We started with one and now there are 150 and the concept has been copied across Europe.

I decided to step away from the role when we were adopting my beautiful girl from Vietnam. For the next few years, I worked as a consultant in retail, so my schedule was flexible and partnered with companies like Claire’s Accessories, New Look, The Health Store Group, I also became a qualified trainer because helping, teaching, and supporting people were always top of my list.

I applied for the role of a tutor at Portobello Institute and started with delivering QQI level 6 business planning and then an opening came up in the fashion department to teach the buying and merchandising module. Wow, to be able to combine my qualifications, my fashion and business experience with my love of helping people to become successful while still being there for my daughter – fantastic. Of course, because it is in my nature to be a leader, yet still embrace inclusivity, I became the programme manager and have developed the fashion programme to be the number one course in the country. I am also on the panel of mentors of Enterprise Ireland, and on the panel of trainers with the Education Training Board.

Why did you choose to work in education?

I understand that to be a teacher is truly a calling of not just the mind, but the heart as well. I believe that great teachers are good at explaining content, are patient, yet firm with students, are always fair, set high expectations, know how to motivate, and use humour appropriately. Being an excellent communicator who has a command of the subject matter is really important. I have forged my own style of teaching that draws on my strengths, knowledge, skills, values, and experiences yet fully realise I still have much to learn and develop and I am always learning from my peers and my students.

I have chosen education as a career because I believe that education is perhaps the most important function performed in our culture, or for that matter, any culture. I believe that teachers individually and collectively can not only change the world, but improve it, and in the process find personal and professional renewal. I love being to be part of this noble profession and hope to continue to inspire all the students I meet.

Empathy is of huge importance to me and understanding that no matter how someone presents themselves to you there are always things going on behind the scenes. I know this from experience and have learned the importance of understanding that everyone learns differently while at the same time, a tutor must balance that with the demands of the professional industry that the students want a career in.

The fashion industry is demanding and challenging. It is my role to fully prepare students for the reality of those challenges.

Your experience as a Programme Manager

As a Programme Manager, I can develop the course content, so that it remains up-to-date and relevant. I can utilise my connections in the industry to connect our students with the best companies to fulfil their dreams of a career in fashion. I can ensure we have the best team of tutors who are all on board with our philosophies, and I can share my experience and learn from everyone on the team. I get to inspire and I enjoy every day that I am part of Portobello.

Why Portobello?

I have chosen to work at Portobello because I am afforded the opportunity to bring my unique style to the classroom. I get to work with a super team of individuals. I am respected and valued for my input. Yes, we have policies and procedures like any strong organisation has but I get to have fun at work.

We have smaller classes in Portobello which allow us to connect with each student as an individual. We have a holistic approach to education and can balance the academic content required while putting our students’ emotional and psychological needs to the fore.

We have a team of people here at Portobello who all want our student base to succeed, from the academic team to the support team in the office. We are always thrilled to share great news stories about our students, especially those who have overcome many obstacles before they arrived at Portobello and during their time with us.

A student should choose to study with us because they will have the journey of their lives while being supported the whole way through and beyond.

Anne Marie is the Programme Manager for Portobello Institute’s BA (Hons) Fashion Buying & Merchandising, BA (Hons) Fashion Management, Postgraduate Cert Fashion Buying & Merchandising and Postgraduate Cert in Fashion Management.

What Students Say

Stephanie Burns – Fashion Buying & Merchandising

“Anne Marie has the rare ability to make learning both interesting and enjoyable. Through the amazing stories of her first-hand experience in international business and her unique and fun teaching methods, she was able to inspire me in a way of wanting to be the best student that I could be. I was scared of going back to education after a long absence, but Anne Marie made the transition so easy. She encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone, helped me recognise my strengths, and gave me the confidence that I needed to go forward and pursue my dream career in the fashion industry. She is both encouraging and inspiring, and I feel so lucky to have been one of her students. She truly changed my life.”

Mpho Morwaeng – Business Planning

“Being a student of Anne Marie’s has been the best experience in my tertiary education. I enjoyed each and every single class with her. Being an international student, coming all the way from Botswana to be in her class was worth it and it’s an experience I will cherish forever. She was always supportive, positive, and patient with me, in and out of class she was available to assist me with my studies. She did not criticise, she encouraged. She motivated and inspired me to do my best. She treated us equally in class and it made me feel free to ask questions and participate in class. Not only did she teach theory, but she was also very practical and demonstrated how everything applies in the real world. I will carry with me the knowledge and skills I gained from her forever.”

Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree Psychology
Bachelors Degree Business
QQI Level 6 Train the Trainer
QQI level 6 Supervisor
Currently completing MA in Counselling

Research / Industry Participation

Developed the Student Internship Programme partnered with Industry leaders Primark, Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Pamela Scott, Lifestyle Sports, Diesel etc.
Mentor for Enterprise Ireland
Mentor for Meath Partnership
Panelist of Trainers for ETB

Personal Academic Tutor

Each student is assigned a personal academic tutor to support you throughout your learning journey. They are available to offer you telephone and email support at any time. You can arrange to meet them for further one to one guidance at a time convenient to you.

Many of our past graduates have found it is the opportunity to ask a simple question, seek direction and submit a draft of their assessment that supported them most to successful completion. Emailing your tutor at any stage during your programme to ask a query or submit a draft of your assessment supports you to achieve your personal best throughout your studies with Portobello.

This level of one to one support is a particular benefit to choosing Portobello as your Institute of choice to complete your studies.

Alan Whelan

Alan Whelan is a Portobello Institute lecturer who worked in psychology away from sports before moving into sports education. Cathal Brady was a Portobello student before becoming a lecturer. Barry Roe underwent a late career change to become a sports lecturer.

Alan Whelan?

Alan Whelan did all three.

“The big thing for me is I put off going back to full-time education. I sat in a job for six years, six out of 10 years that I knew I didn’t like it…I put off for years making that jump. And that’s always something I say to a lot of people, just go and chase what you want to do.

Even if it’s a mistake you won’t regret it.”

It wasn’t a mistake for Alan. He was 36 years of age when he first walked through the doors at Portobello Institute. Fearing that he would be the oldest student in the class, he’s familiar with how mature students feel when they now walk into his lectures.

Fortunately for Alan, his class was diverse and he wasn’t even the oldest student in the class. He almost proudly noted that another student was six months older than him.

Many of our sports students come back to education later in life because they weren’t pushed towards a career in sports when they left school. Despite being an intelligent student and a sports-obsessed teenager, the adults in Alan’s life guided him towards a more traditional college and career choice.

Real estate and corporate finance made up most of Alan’s next 18 years.

The day-to-day monotony of going into school to study subjects he had no interest in was replaced by the day-to-day monotony of going into an office and doing the same work over and over again.

“That mundane 9-5, sitting in a desk in front of a computer in that kind of corporate world was just killing me. It was boredom, it was monotonous. It was the same thing day in day out with little gratitude.

It was my wife who pushed me. She said ‘Look, you’re clearly not happy. Go and take the risk and do it’…I completely packed in my job, I was a couple months shy of 10 years working there.”

Had Alan reached the 10-year milestone, he could have earned an extra five days off each year. That was the only thing driving him to stay in work, the opportunity to get out of work. Instead of getting that five days off, he took three years off and studied the Sports Science and Physical Education degree at Portobello Institute.

“When I gave up my full-time job, I had a little bit of savings behind me. My idea was I was going to completely stop working and I was going to focus on year one of the degree, then with the potential of getting some part-time work in year two and three to help.

But I actually ended up not working for the entire three years.

I remember I used to say to people ‘I have never been so broke in my entire life but I’ve never been as happy as I am now.’”

That happiness extended further when Alan travelled up to the University of Ulster in Belfast to do his master’s in sports psychology.

Dr. Susan Giblin had noticed Alan’s enthusiasm for his education in sports. She also noticed how impressive his dissertation was before offering him the opportunity to become a lecturer at Portobello. Alan took all of five seconds to realize it was a great idea.

“I’m enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. It’s more freedom [compared to my previous jobs]…Now I’m working in Portobello and I set up my own psychology business last February.

It’s night and day the difference, particularly in relation to my own happiness.”

Having followed the path from uninterested secondary school student to college dropout to staying in the wrong career for more than 10 years, Alan can empathize with all of his students. Those students who have experienced that office depression can listen to him outline what his job is now and where he works.

He is no longer chained to an office for eight hours a day. Instead, he can work from home, can work in a sports hall, a classroom, on a field, in a locker room or, if he suddenly gets the urge, he can go and work in an office.

But working in an office would now be a choice he makes rather than something he does out of necessity.

That is because of the education he received at Portobello Institute and the decisions he made to take risks in pursuit of what he wanted.

Alan himself notes that he’s a happier person now, which makes him a more effective lecturer. He loves engaging his students and guiding them towards where they want to go.

“I am a very open and approachable tutor. I believe in a student-centred approach to learning, with student engagement and discussion at the heart of every lecture.

A firm believer in the benefits of effective goal setting, engaging in reflective practice and practical application, I employ a number of sport psychology related skills into the education setting to ensure all students maximize their potential for learning.”

Jaimie Caron

“Buyers will be taking pieces from designers to put into high street stores so they need a respect and understanding of the design process. That’s what I’m here to give” – Jaimie Caron, Advance Design Skills Tutor, Fashion Department, Portobello Institute.

About

Fashion and design have been a part of Jaimie Carron’s life from a very early age.

“Well, I ran a fashion business from 5^th class,” says Jaimie, who is an Advanced Design Skills tutor at Portobello Institute.

That early business involved Jaimie designing and producing jewellery for classmates and beyond and it picked up substantial notoriety.

“It grew throughout the time I was in college. I got to collaborate with Swarovski. I won the Junior Enterprise competition for Ireland. I did Dragon’s Den.”

While it was jewellery design that first piqued her interest she has since moved away from the area.

“Absolutely loved jewellery design. Had planned to go into that and then pivoted to fashion design, manufacturing and textile development”.

Jaimie has a degree in Fashion Design and Textile Development from the Limerick School of Art and Design, a constituent school of Limerick Institute of Technology.

She has completed an internship with Alanagh Clegg and her company, Four Threads, a fashion business that puts sustainability at the forefront of their work.

Sustainable and ethical fashion is a big priority for Jaimie, who lists one of her main influences as Iris van Herpen. She also lists the likes of Chanel and Dior “but Iris van Herpen would be the main one. She works with 3D printing and it’s zero waste, all sustainable”.

Domestically, Jaimie mentions the likes of Aoife McNamara, Colin Horgan and Alanagh Clegg as some of the leading figures, for her, in the Irish fashion design industry. When asked if she has aspirations of joining them in the future, Jaimie says:

“Absolutely. I’ve always wanted to head in that direction eventually. But for the minute I want to get my Master’s degree and I can do that alongside this (tutoring at Portobello) which is perfect.”

As mentioned, Jaimie joins Portobello Institute as an Advanced Design Skills tutor.

“Basically, what I’ll be doing is teaching from start to finish what the process is for manufacturing a garment. So, this would be for fashion and merchandising. Buyers will be taking pieces from designers to put into high street stores, so they need respect and understanding of the design process. That’s what I’m here to give”.

The fashion department at Portobello Institute is growing and this is a key factor for Jaimie.

“Getting in at the minute it’s the excitement of watching the place grow and seeing what will come of everything and everyone.”

Past testimonials of students were another enticing aspect of the role.

“Seeing stories from the graduates of the fashion programme, it seemed like a very innovative way of teaching this course, which I haven’t seen before. All of that really just drew me in.”

Qualifications

QQI Level 6 Training Delivery and Evaluation
Limerick School of Art and Design – BA Honours Degree in Fashion Design

Sinead Kelly

Position: Fashion tutor

About Sinead

I am a fashion creative based in Dublin. Having graduated from Dublin City University with a BA in Journalism and Irish, I immediately pursued my fashion instincts by doing internships with RTE Fashion online, followed by Stellar Magazine.

I began working with Folkster, in its infancy, where I spent four years working across all areas of the development of the independent retail store and online shopping website www.folkster.com, specifically in terms of press and marketing, and fashion styling.

Four years later, countless photo shoots, kilo sale events, buying trips and business adventures, the Kilkenny store grew to encompass a second store in Dublin, a growing online business, and the start of a successful venture into the Bridal world, all of which I was actively involved in.

In 2014 I returned to DCU where she achieved a Masters in Marketing. All the while, I have steadily grown my freelance work through assisting other stylists, and taking on projects of my own. I host my portfolio on www.stylebysinead.ie

I began my current role as Personal Shopper in Arnotts, Ireland’s oldest and largest department store, shortly after. Each day is filled with appointments encompassing wardrobe overhauls, capsule corporate wear, formal and occasion wear, and menswear. Each client experiences a personable and relaxed service while being provided with an array of choices tailored to their personal tastes and requirements.

Alongside the coordination of daily appointments, my responsibilities and duties also span to include working/hosting in store events, styling photo shoots and commercial opportunities (ie. TV appearances, dressing notable public figures etc.), contributing to Arnotts social media pages, organising, styling and speaking at corporate events and attending seasonal press events. I was delighted to style and Rosie Fortescue (Made in Chelsea) for irish Tatler, in conjunction with Arnotts. Working with Aaron Hurley, the shoot was published in December 2016.

At the same time, I teamed up with now business partner, Tobi Balogun, and launched Selfmade Clothing. Selfmade is a concept clothing brand encompassing reworked vintage into its range of product. Whereby we both saw a gap in the market to exude individuality through dressing, Selfmade’s mission is to inspire ‘You being the best version of you, no matter what!’

Whereby high street clothing was replicated, and somewhat uninspiring, we took the leap and created the brand to bring something new to the fashion scene. A typically urban, street wear brand, Selfmade has customers worldwide, including Irish model and DJ Daniella Moyles, and an array of international dance choreographers such as Tony Tzar (LA), Kerrie Milne (Dublin/LA). The brand has been featured in the Irish Examiner, and MFI magazine. Working with emerging artists and creatives, we ensure unique, raw authenticity in their work. With myself as Creative Director and Stylist, the brand has produced many campaigns over the past few years, and house their works on www.selfmadeclothing.ie

In October 2018, I assumed yet another role, this time as a Fashion Tutor at Portobello Institute in Dublin. With my creative experience and academic background, I am tutor of Fashion Styling, Digital Marketing, and Retail Administrations.

Work to date

Fashion Stylist: Arnotts SS18, Men’s Fashion Ireland (MFI), Evoke.ie, Irish Tatler, Folkster Ltd, Folkster Bridal, RTE Guide – 2 Cover Shoots, RTE Ten, Xpose, Irish Independent Weekend Magazine, The Silver Factory, Fish Tail Soup Apparel, United Colors of Benetton for Fashion One TV
Fashion Styling Assistant: The Voice of Ireland 2014; Harvey Nichols Fashion Show S/S14, A/W14, Happy Closet Launch Night; Irish Independent Weekend Magazine; Irish Times Fashion Feature – Aviary Lane; Arnotts Menswear A/W14; Stena Line Commercial July 2014.

Press features/profiles

Stellar Magazine Streetstyle 2013
U Magazine Fashion Diary Feature 2014
Irish Examiner Streets Ahead feature 2014
U Magazine – So You Think You Want My Job – 2016
Stellar Magazine – A Day in the Life feature – 2018