Designer Helen tailors her style to cater to more casual demands
IRISH designer Helen Cody has had to rethink her role in fashion following coronavirus – and has swapped evening finery for more casual wear.
When lockdown was announced, Ms Cody had just debuted her latest collection of ethereal designs in the fitting surrounds of Dublin’s illustrious City Hall.
The fashion designer admitted that lockdown ‘felt like the Christmas holidays for the first week’, but it didn’t take long before she started asking herself the serious questions about next steps.
Helen is used to dressing Ireland’s biggest names and creating bespoke evening wear and wedding dresses from the finest Italian and French silks, cashmere and laces.
However, the self-confessed bohemian, with a go-to wardrobe of jeans and comfy tops, found herself asking why she was ignoring that side of her own style.
Over the last few weeks, the fashion designer has been refocused her efforts to create bespoke luxurious yet very wearable outfits for her ever-loyal clientele.
‘I’d have phone calls from my clients saying, “Look Helen, the wedding isn’t happening until next year, or the event isn’t happening, or we’re not going anywhere. You hardly have any tops do you?”
‘When the studio opened up again, I found this incredible organic cotton and I started by making tops. Really simple, easy, washable, pretty but practical pieces for people’s lifestyles right now.
‘We put pictures of some of the pieces up on Instagram and the response really blew me away. I’m sitting at home eating dinner and my phone is pinging away as people are ordering, ordering, ordering.
‘The way I see it is that I could be waiting until next year to make a wedding dress. Yes, this is a simpler product but I can pop it in the post. It’s a simple transaction and it’s a way to keep my girls working, to pay my rent and to help sustain my business.’
Her clients are very happy to be back in the studio and Helen has tailored her operation to ensure it is Covid-proofed.
‘They don’t touch anything. Of course, we have hand sanitiser everywhere and we all have our masks on too.’
Helen’s has also made more than 1,200 facemasks during lockdown.
Made from organic cotton, the prints are hand-chosen by Helen. ‘As long as people need them I’ll make them,’ she said.