THEN: In November 2011,
Irish Country Living visited designer Clare Jordan at her studio on the family farm in Ballon, Co Carlow. A graduate of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), Clare’s career highlights included having her work featured from the pages of Vogue to the Broadway stage, but after the arrival of her daughter, Norah, she returned home to set up her own label, crafting quirky keepsakes and magical mementos with a sprinkle of sparkle.
NOW: Last year, Clare launched “Darling Divas Ltd” with her UK-based business partner, Georgina Collins, selling sassy vintage-inspired greeting cards and other products, which are designed with tongue firmly in cheek (for instance, the quarantine-inspired, This too shall pass. Like a kidney stone, but it will pass).
“We’ve been very fortunate because people started writing again because of the lockdown,” explains Clare. “We’ve forward-sold all our printing for the next three months. We have some lovely Irish accounts and in the UK as well.”
As well as creating her own designs, Clare has been busy sharing her skills in different ways. She is currently lecturing design at NCAD and digital marketing in Carlow IT, while also working privately and with the local enterprise boards in Laois, Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford mentoring other small businesses in branding, digital marketing and merchandising.
Designer Clare Jordan has launched the ‘Darling Divas’ range with her business partner, Georgina Collins.
Such support has been a lifeline to rural businesses, especially when many had to shut shop physically and move online during lockdown.
“Basically what I found is with shops – so let’s say gift shops or retailers in general – they’re really used to communicating in a really personalised way with their customer when they come into the shop, so it’s trying to translate that tone of voice and approach to their digital platform,” says Clare of the challenges of making the leap online.
“Traditionally websites would have felt very cold and very clinical and maybe not personalised, so it’s really trying to get them to use and reflect their brand onto a digital platform and connect with their customer in a very meaningful way digitally.”
But while she acknowledges that lockdown was “devastating” for many businesses in Ireland, for others, it has highlighted opportunities in online sales that were previously unexplored.
“Some maybe had a very small web presence prior to this, but for many they are after developing a whole new way of doing business,” she says.
“They are very aware of their reach, that they can sell all over the country and maybe even globally and before they were maybe hindered by geography or footfall.”
Clients that Clare has collaborated with in recent times include Bell Meadow Living gifts, Milis candles, Merry Mill Oats and Rural Vagabonds boutique mobile café. She enjoys the diversity of her work, and the fact that she can do it all from rural Ireland; especially with the widespread use of tools like Zoom post-COVID.
“We’re very fortunate we have broadband here, so at least we’ve got a good internet connection, but like that, you can be working with anybody, anywhere,” she says.
“Before this we were limited by geography. I used to meet clients and I would drive three hours and they would drive three hours, and you’d meet for three hours and that was your whole day. Whereas now you can just have your Zoom meetings and it’s a more efficient way of doing things.
“I’m so fortunate,” she concludes. “I kind of have to pinch myself.”
For further information, visit www.clarejordan.com
THEN: In November 2011,
Irish Country Living visited designer Clare Jordan at her studio on the family farm in Ballon, Co Carlow. A graduate of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), Clare’s career highlights included having her work featured from the pages of Vogue to the Broadway stage, but after the arrival of her daughter, Norah, she returned home to set up her own label, crafting quirky keepsakes and magical mementos with a sprinkle of sparkle.
NOW: Last year, Clare launched “Darling Divas Ltd” with her UK-based business partner, Georgina Collins, selling sassy vintage-inspired greeting cards and other products, which are designed with tongue firmly in cheek (for instance, the quarantine-inspired, This too shall pass. Like a kidney stone, but it will pass).
“We’ve been very fortunate because people started writing again because of the lockdown,” explains Clare. “We’ve forward-sold all our printing for the next three months. We have some lovely Irish accounts and in the UK as well.”
As well as creating her own designs, Clare has been busy sharing her skills in different ways. She is currently lecturing design at NCAD and digital marketing in Carlow IT, while also working privately and with the local enterprise boards in Laois, Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford mentoring other small businesses in branding, digital marketing and merchandising.
Designer Clare Jordan has launched the ‘Darling Divas’ range with her business partner, Georgina Collins.
Such support has been a lifeline to rural businesses, especially when many had to shut shop physically and move online during lockdown.
“Basically what I found is with shops – so let’s say gift shops or retailers in general – they’re really used to communicating in a really personalised way with their customer when they come into the shop, so it’s trying to translate that tone of voice and approach to their digital platform,” says Clare of the challenges of making the leap online.
“Traditionally websites would have felt very cold and very clinical and maybe not personalised, so it’s really trying to get them to use and reflect their brand onto a digital platform and connect with their customer in a very meaningful way digitally.”
But while she acknowledges that lockdown was “devastating” for many businesses in Ireland, for others, it has highlighted opportunities in online sales that were previously unexplored.
“Some maybe had a very small web presence prior to this, but for many they are after developing a whole new way of doing business,” she says.
“They are very aware of their reach, that they can sell all over the country and maybe even globally and before they were maybe hindered by geography or footfall.”
Clients that Clare has collaborated with in recent times include Bell Meadow Living gifts, Milis candles, Merry Mill Oats and Rural Vagabonds boutique mobile café. She enjoys the diversity of her work, and the fact that she can do it all from rural Ireland; especially with the widespread use of tools like Zoom post-COVID.
“We’re very fortunate we have broadband here, so at least we’ve got a good internet connection, but like that, you can be working with anybody, anywhere,” she says.
“Before this we were limited by geography. I used to meet clients and I would drive three hours and they would drive three hours, and you’d meet for three hours and that was your whole day. Whereas now you can just have your Zoom meetings and it’s a more efficient way of doing things.
“I’m so fortunate,” she concludes. “I kind of have to pinch myself.”
For further information, visit www.clarejordan.com
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