Meet award-winning Kerry designer Tina Griffin

Tina Griffin’s 1950s’-inspired designs regularly swoosh into best-dressed lists, former Rose of Tralee Maria Walsh is a fan and even Paul Galvin – not known as a man who is easily impressed – gave her a shout out on his fashion blog.

But there’s one person she still has to get her hands on. “My dad still turns up his own trousers. He just doesn’t trust me!” jokes the Killorglin woman, who was named Kerry Fashion Designer of the Year in 2013, but who struggled with self-belief when it came to launching her own label.

Indeed, having studied valuation and property management in Dublin, Tina had no design experience when she moved home to Kerry in 2001 with her partner Norman. “The winters were quite long here, and a lot of our friends had not moved home yet, so I took a notion to make a skirt,” she explains. “So I bought a sewing machine ... and realised I hadn’t a clue what I was doing.”

In need of guidance,Tina found out about the Mallow College of Design & Tailoring, and every Monday evening after work would drive there for a night class with owner Mary Cashman.

“The first evening she showed us how to cut a pattern for our skirt. The second evening we cut the skirt. And the third night, I had made a skirt,” she recalls. “I fell in love with it.”

Soon, her hobby turned into requests from family and friends for everything from alterations to bridesmaid dresses; but in 2006, Tina “bit the bullet” and went into design full time.

“It took me two years,” she says of her decision. “We had a new house, the mortgage had to be paid and there was a small bit of a lack of confidence as well: ‘If I leave this will there be enough work to keep me going?’”

Fortunately, Tina’s fears proved unfounded, and she slowly began to make her name locally, especially after she started designing dresses for ladies’-day wear.

shooting for the stars

However, it was 2013 when her career really took off, after winning Kerry Designer of the Year at the Kerry Fashion Awards.

“Entering that was like taking the leap of leaving my job all over again,” she says. “I would say I lost about two stone with the stress of doing the collection; changing them and questioning them constantly. It was probably the scariest, most nerve-wracking and most exciting thing I’ve ever done.”

Tina admits she never expected the impact the award would have on her business in terms of national exposure. Her dresses have graced social events and racecourses all over Ireland. Indeed, award-winning milliner Carol Kennelly, previously won best dressed at the Dublin Horse Show in one of Tina’s gúnas.

She is in high demand from mothers-of-the-bride seeking a more modern look, while she also designs a capsule bridesmaid collection.

Prices for an occasion dress from the collection start at €270 and for mother-of-the-bride generally range from €320-€500. However, Tina also works with clients on bespoke orders with private consultations from her home studio, with prices from €450-€900.

“Some people will ring up and say, ‘I love that dress, but can I have a sleeve on it?’” she says. “Some of my favourite designs have come as a result of a challenge from a client to work around a tummy or knees.”

Inspired by the silhouettes of the 1940s and 1950s, Tina likes to work with unique fabrics from Spain, Italy and Northern Ireland. Her autumn/winter collection is all about texture: think rich brocades, full skirts, dusky hues and metallic opulence.

And Tina is happy to let her dress do the talking. “I like to get recognition for the design and how the person looks, rather than for me,” she smiles. CL

For further information, call 066-979-0900/086-806-0088 or visit www.tinagriffin.ie