Coco Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Donatella Versace are a few of the most famous designers to date but there is a new designer snapping at their heels, and she hails all the way from the hills of Donegal. Bernie Murphy is a textile artist,  designer and educator who owns the online studio business ‘Bernie Murphy Designs’. Bernie is passionate about traditional Irish fabrics and interprets them in a unique, individual way.  Living in the dramatic landscape of the Wild Atlantic Way, Buncranna, Bernie is influenced by the colours and textures which surround her, and translates these influences into her garments, which combine drama and sophistication.

The Buncranna native’s passion for textiles started from an early age as Bernie absorbed the lessons of craft and design from her grandmother and mother, who knitted and sewed and were extremely creative in the home. It was Bernie’s mother who gave her daughter her first sewing machine. Bernie has fond memories of her younger self creating clothes for her dolls to now creating clothes for herself and the public.  ‘These skills were assimilated as part my home life’, says Bernie. Prior starting her own self-made company the designer worked with clothing manufacturing company, Fruit of the Loom International Ltd for 18 years as their garment technologist in the company’s product development department. This role involved designing & prototyping garments for each season. This experience included not only the daily design requirements of the position but managing deadlines, coordinating staff on the factory floor to produce the designs for consideration on schedule and overseeing cost company. Bernie  gained valuable experience within this fast-paced environment. In 2006 after the Fruit of the Loom decided to cease their Irish business and Bernie at the age of 40, took the opportunity to go back to education and develop her design skills further. Bernie received a HNC in Spatial Design, a HND in Fashion and Textile Design at North West Regional College and finally a BA Hons in Fine and Applied Art at Ulster University. ‘In 2017 from all the experience I had gathered over the years I decided to launch BernieMurphy.com’ says Bernie. An online portfolio and store which people can buy the designer’s pieces, from handcrafted coats, scarfs, capes, trousers, to hairbands, her collections are a treasure trove .

Bernie has received incredible feedback from all over the world, from US, Australia and Ireland.  ‘It’s surreal’ states the designer. ‘This wouldn’t have been possible without the online world of social media. I didn’t realise it is harder work [social media] than I anticipated’ stated Bernie. ‘However, online is great because I got my name out there quicker for PR and the feedback, I get from all the over the world which is incredible’.

Home is where is the heart is which is quite evident in the designer’s collections ‘Homelands’ and ‘Belongings’ as Bernie cites Donegal as the inspiration of her collection, she also commends the importance of a support network when self-employed. ‘Starting a business in Donegal, I was very fortunate to be able to avail of the support of Donegal LEO, Donegal Women in Business and Acorns’  says Bernie. ‘With their support I have been able to move my business forward and watch it grow’. ‘Also, without the support and encouragement from my family and friends, I would not be where I am today.’ Bernie had a few highlights to mention since starting her self-made company. ‘Being able to produce garments here in Donegal from tweed that was woven in a Donegal mill and when a customer purchases a garment and loves it as much as I do is so important to me’ says Bernie. ‘Attending some of the top trade shows here in Ireland and recently in New York and Philadelphia, all are my favourite and few highlights to date as a self-made entrepreneur’. Having retrained later in her life and starting her own business Bernie believes that it is never too late for people to chase their own dreams no matter stage of life you are in. ‘It’s never too late to start something new, change is good. People always doubt their abilities.  Surround yourself with like-minded people and be prepared to work hard.’

The textile designer has no plans of stopping anytime soon and states that this is only the beginning for her as she was nominated for Irish Made awards back in October 2019, Bernie has many plans for her business. ‘I would love to expand my business and customer base globally’ say Bernie. ‘Showcasing Donegal’s heritage style with a contemporary twist to a wider audience.’ And lastly, we asked the designer what is her life motto to which she replied, ‘Half of doing it is believing that you can.’

Check out Bernie’s collection pieces over on her website - https://berniemurphy.com/

Have a small business and want your story told? Contact Niamh at nshields@harmonia.ie