Bernie O'Farrell's clothes for Libra come in cracking colours with reusable touches such as a corsage, writes Deirdre McQuillan
FASHION DESIGNER Bernie O'Farrell cheerfully admits that she just can't do day-to-day mundane clothes, doesn't have that handwriting. "I really like to use my imagination," she says, "and I always have embellishments so that things can look a little bit different." Perhaps that's not surprising, coming from the daughter of the heraldic artist Tony O'Farrell who can also claim that her great aunt Beth Keogh worked on Queen Elizabeth's wedding dress in the 1950s.
This is O'Farrell's third season designing the younger Arruba range for Libra, a Dublin-based company that originally set up in 1979 making blouses. Three years ago, Libra won the Drapers' Womenswear Brand of the Year, fighting off competition from other mega mainstream brands such as Betty Barclay, Gerry Weber and Basler.
O'Farrell is known for her colourful, detailed special occasion wear and she is the owner of the B Couture
boutique in her native Arklow, a destination shop for customers looking for something to wear to weddings or parties, which she opened two years ago. A born dressmaker, she has been making clothes all her life - she went to work with Libra in l994 after completing her formal training in Waterford and Cork College of Fashion.
She gained further experience in the UK, where she worked for five years as designer of the Kaliko range before moving back home to work for Michael H for six months. She opened B Couture two years ago because "I could see there was a market for a bridal shop there and I didn't want to be travelling all the time."
With this collection, photographed in the magical grounds of Castle Leslie in Monaghan, she has let her whimsical imagination fly, using colourful organzas, taffetas and chiffons for both dresses and more tailored items which are playful and girly in spirit. The pink organza dress (which also comes in black) with its delicate embroidery is already a best seller, as is the linen coat with its polka-dot lining, while the lace and linen dress picks up on current trends. Her special effects include hand-painting, laser-cut flowers and appliqued rose corsages. "I do like to make a woman feel feminine, and I hope that customers will keep my pieces like the multi-coloured chiffon dress forever."
For stockists see www.libradesigns.com