When Poppy Met Daisy

A few weeks ago I was invited to the launch of “When Poppy Met Daisy” a vibrant fashion and sewing school based on Capel Street, in the heart of Dublin city centre. After finding out about them on twitter i’ve been very passionate about what they do. And this is why...

Our generation has become increasingly irresponsible in our consumerism. We all know that fast fashion is a highly unsustainable model, however, due to the disposable nature of our consumerist society it is the only model. We are all guilty of it and with highstreet stores such as our beloved Penneys pioneering it there is no escaping the throw away trends of today. Its ingrained into our culture and aside from it being unsustainable its also a poor model for human behavior. We lack respect and appreciation for our clothes not to mention the environment, I guarantee that your mother and most definitely your grandmother didn’t discard her dress or top in a heap on her bedroom floor at the end of the day. Due to the availability of fast cheap fashion we have lost the appreciation for the skill and workmanship that goes into a quality piece of clothing. I believe that because of this we take our clothes for granted and have lost a valuable skill set in the process. 

THIS is where When Poppy Met Daisy come in and this is why i find them so inspiring. They have a wide range of diverse courses to choose from starting with Intro to the Sewing Machine and Basic Alterations allowing you to tailor your bought garments to your needs and taste, including taking a garment in, adding trims and even changing the neckline. If you already have these skills and want to build on them, or as a step on from the initial skills classes they offer courses on Dressmaking, How To Make A Dress In A Day, How To Make A Skirt In A Day, Pattern Drafting and for the more adventurous a Corsetry course. As a fashion design graduate myself i have a huge passion for courses like these, the satisfaction and joy you get from shopping can’t compare to that which you get when you finish making a garment yourself, it gives you a whole new appreciation and love for fashion. The possibilities are endless, and once you start to get creative skills like these really do put the fun back into fashion.

When Poppy Met Daisy also offer other creative fun and inspiring courses which are valuable to anyone with a love of fashion, art and design. They have courses in millinery and how to make a collar, both must have accessories at the moment. They also offer courses in photography, photoshop and styling and have recently recruited the very talented rising star Holly Shortall to tutor a fashion illustration course. There are activities for hen parties and kids parties and an exciting Xmas jumper course that they even offer for Xmas parties, these courses are done in their studio, in your home, in local bars, clubs and venues so all you creative junkies can have a fun filled party experience!

Unfortunately I couldn’t attend the launch but I did get talking to Lorna Daly, founder of When Poppy met Daisy to find out a little more about her, the business and the When Poppy Met Daisy team.

Me: Lorna, I love the concept of When Poppy Met Daisy. Where did the idea for the business come from? 

Lorna: A need for something new, young and fresh in Dublin. We pride ourselves in taking the intimidation out of fashion. We are trained designers who really enjoy our craft and we are hoping to bring some of the joy we find in our work to other people.

Me: Where did the idea of the name When Poppy Met Daisy come from?

Lorna: When i was younger my grand mother thought me how to sew, we both had yorkshire terriers one called poppy and one called daisy , it had a nicer ring to it than when Carmel met Lorna...

Me: What is your background in the industry?

Lorna: Where to start, well i studied fashion design for nearly 5 years and was working in Topshop alongside my studies, when i completed my studies i dabbled in some freelance design and costume work and then went to London to work for the designer Hermione de Paula. It was incredible experience working on London fashion week, especially with a textile designer as it is a different disciple entirely. I really wanted to be based in Dublin and was tired of all our talented designers having to emigrate to the likes of London and New york for work. I came home with an idea for something that i felt was lacking in Dublin, a fun, young yet informative fashion school and from there When Poppy met Daisy was born.

Me: What do each of you bring to the When Poppy Met Daisy team?

Lorna: We have some very talented staff at when poppy met daisy and we all specialize in different areas, i teach all the dressmaking and construction classes, ie pattern drafting etc. Sara who is a costume designer teaches corsetry and millinery classes. Louise teaches fashion photography and Holly teaches fashion illustration. We all know where our strengths lie, and although we may be trained in the same areas we understand some people are just more talented in one area than another.

Me: The Corsetry course sounds amazing. It must generate a lot of interest, I for one would love to have this skill. Can you tell me more of how it came about, its probably not one that most people would expect to see now that Spanx have taken over the world? 

Lorna: As i said before Sara is the corsetry teacher, she trained as a costume designer but also worked along her aunt for years who owns Peekaboo fashion, they specialize in corsetry and one of a kind designs. Sara is an unbelievable teacher, i’m in awe of her sometimes i’ll even admit. She makes something so complicated so relatable and easy to learn.

Me: Is there room for corsets in modern day life outside of burlesque and the bedroom of course?

Lorna: Why not.. everything comes back at some stage. Plus theres been a lot of corseted style garments seen on the catwalks and trend boards for next season. They don’t need to be just corsets, you can adapt your skill into keys say waspies , or a boned dress, bridal wear and so much more.

Me: Speaking of come-backs theres been a revival of the suited and booted gent with a bit of a twist in menswear recently. We all know theres nothing sexier than a man in a well tailored suit. Do many men take your classes?

Lorna: Yes quite a lot actually, I’ve just had my first tailored suit made by a man in my class which I’m really proud of I must say.

Me: I see Holly Shortall is collaborating with you for illustration classes, she’s a real up and coming Irish star how does she fit into the When Poppy Met Daisy Team?

Lorna: Ive known Holly for probably about 8 years now and our education has overlapped with a brief stint in college together. Fashion illustration is so important for budding designers, to be able to communicate your designs and ideas in an exciting manner for yourself and the client. Holly is the master of this and is only getting better day by day.. Im just snapping her up before someone else does .... ha ha

Me: I love that you do photography, photoshop and styling courses, as a fashion blogger these skills are a real asset! Do many budding bloggers take these courses?

Lorna: Not as of yet as we only launched them this November with the first terms starting this Jan , i hope to see plenty of the blogger community in class shortly

Me: With such an amazing skill set have you considered blogging fashion?

Lorna: MMMM not for me, I’ve tried, i get bored. Im good with my hands and i love to be at a machine thats not a laptop. I do have girls who focus on blogging, twitter and facebook. Otherwise I’m afraid id be all alone sewing all day and no one would have ever heard of us .....

Me: Your xmas jumper workshop sounds like amazing fun? What design will you have on your Xmas jumper this year?

Lorna: My sister makes mine every year so il leave it up to Rebecca.

Me: Your millinery class sounds fab! So heres some quick fire hat questions...

Me: Fascinators or hats? 

Lorna: Hats

Me: Hats are for everyday or occasionwear? 

Lorna: Everyday... I’m fond of a bowler hat i must say

Me: Beanies or berets? 

Lorna: Berets

Me: How do you feel about men in hats? 

Lorna: LOVE

Me: As head of Dublins most innovative and creative fashion school for everyone, would you mind letting us in on some of your own personal style...

Me: What is your day style?

Lorna: Depends on my mood.. laid back and comfortable in work , generally boots , dress and oversized cardy.. i always wear a scarf.. mainly cause im freezing

Me: What is your goin out style?

Lorna: Mmmm ... totally changes all the time, i like to get totally dolled up every now and again, maybe shorts tights , oversized chiffon tee and boyfriend blazer.. and sometimes u can find me in something far more form fitting. Depends on my mood and the weather. My shoes are always very high or very crazy though

Me: Little black dress or little red dress? 

Lorna: Black

Me: Beauty must haves? 

Lorna: Red lipstick.. ruby woo, black liquid eyeliner, smashbox primer and lushs cosmetic warrior facemask.

Me: Winter Wardrobe essentials? 

Lorna: A great coat and boots... oh and scarf

Me: Favorite way to wear your hair? 

Lorna: Down with a lose messy curl

Me: Lipstick or lipgloss? 

Lorna: Lipstick

Me: Red or nude? 

Lorna: Red

Me: Long nails or short nails? 

Lorna: Short

Me: Celebrity crush? 

Lorna: Mmmm so many , i am obsessed with Justin timberlake..  ha ha

if you could steal someones style who would it be? Iris Apfel , i cant imagine what the inside of her wardrobe must look like.. 

Me: Favorite magazine/book? 

Lorna: Isabella Blow’s life story... heartbreaking but inspirational. I also love the likes of ID magazine.

Me: Finally, have you any sewing tips or advice for beginners who can't make it up to Dublin for one of your amazing classes?

Lorna: Just practice, don’t panic if its not right just keep going.... pin pin and pin some more. and please for god sake measure everything.

If you want to check out the great courses available at When Poppy Met Daisy you can visit their website here. You can also like them on Facebook and follow them on  Twitter. For those of you who haven’t heard of the wonderfully talented Holly Shortall you can see her Facebook page here. While your at it don’t forget about my Facebook page weddingsdressesideas Blog and you can follow me on Twitter too here. If your not inspired enough here are some examples of what some of When Poppy Met Daisy's students have made.

All photo's are from When Poppy Met Daisy and Holly Shortall.

Hope you enjoyed guys!

Until next time 

Zee xxx

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