From Sketchbook to Silk

Fairytales on Silk began as a homage to my granny’s garden — a continuation of the world I first explored in my 2022 collection, My Granny’s Garden.

The collection is rooted in childhood trips to County Clare in the west of Ireland, and in memories of summers spent surrounded by wild gardens, flowers, colour and storytelling. Those early memories became the starting point for a new hand-drawn world of roses, birds, butterflies, keys and hidden details.

At the centre of the story is my mother, Josephine, whose name I gave to my first silk scarf collection. The Josephine scarf became the piece that began this chapter of my work — a way of transforming memory, place and love into something wearable and lasting.

With Fairytales on Silk, I wanted to build on that story and make it feel more dreamlike — as if the garden had stepped into a fairytale. Irish folklore, old stories and mythic symbols weave through the collection, creating pieces that feel romantic, personal and a little otherworldly.

Each design begins as a hand-drawn illustration before being transformed into silk. Roses bloom across the fabric, birds appear among branches, butterflies move through colour, and small symbolic details are hidden throughout the print. These motifs are not just decorative; they are fragments of memory, nature and imagination.

For me, silk has always felt almost talismanic — something soft and luminous that can be worn close to the body, gifted, treasured and passed on. A scarf becomes more than an accessory. A kaftan becomes more than clothing. Each piece becomes a story to carry.

Rooted in Irish memory, family and landscape, Fairytales on Silk is a collection about the quiet magic of gardens, the stories we inherit, and the beauty of turning illustration into something living