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Ruth's thrifty designs hit the spot
Ruth Crean's recycled works of art resonate with the times as people look to tighten their belts, writes Aine Fitzgerald
BUDGET. Recession. Global economic turmoil. For the most fashion conscious women out there, these words are ringing in their ears when they go to pick up that much coveted Fendi handbag or pair of Gucci shoes.
But while the larger stores with their designer names may be feeling the pinch of the belt tightening, retailers selling for example, previously owned merchandise, can look forward to seeing a lot of new customers seeking bargains in the form of recycled goods.
Here in Limerick, 26-year-old Ruth Crean is one of those who specialises in the area of recycled clothing.
Adding oomph and sparkle to even the dullest of outfits, she works from her studio near Baker's Place.
"You know the way women have so many clothes – you buy something because it's on sale but you never wear it – well one person's trash is another person's treasure," explains Ruth who is wearing one of her own designs as she sits chatting in the arty upstairs sitting room of her flat.
And it's a long way up - three punishing flights of staircase, and interestingly it was another staircase that sealed the Kildare girl's decision to take a course in Fine Art in Limerick's Art College.
"Everyone from Celbridge goes to college in Dublin – that's what you do. I got into the college in Dublin and even at 17 I said 'no I can't do this I can't do the bus commuting'.
"I went to Cork and I didn't like it. I went to Galway and thought they were a bit too easy in giving you a place and then I went to Limerick and I found the interview really hard. But I thought fine, if they are going to be really strict, that's a good sign, and it had a nice staircase too," she laughs.
When she finished college, Ruth ended up doing lots of different things – exhibitions in photography and mixed media and even designed home-made cards which she found an outlet for in the Bedford Row market. From there she began designing clothes.
"There were things that I wanted but couldn't buy myself so I started making things for myself. Then there were people on O'Connell Street saying to me 'Oh God, do you sell them? I just started from there.
"I've been doing graphic design, freelance, for ages but designing clothing is the main thing at the moment – it's the thing that makes me really happy," she says.
Growing up with a mother who is a dress-maker and a dad who is a goldsmith, Ruth certainly inherited a creative streak. She did not, however, inherit her mother's way with the sowing machine.
"Recently I had to work with my mother and she was watching what I was doing and telling me how we work really differently. She is very methodical, and measured, and pins everything, whereas I had the music on and was laying things down in a freestyle. It does come easy to me. I never really learned the trade but I just like things when I see them.
"It's about taking in old clothes - well they are not even old - they are barely even worn and doing them up with embellishment and buttons. Also, if someone has something that they like, that fits them very well, that they feel is maybe a bit boring, I take it away and make it magic."
While t-shirts can take maybe an hour to complete, a coat can require anything up to two days of undivided attention which is reflected in the price.
"Recently I took a coat apart and a pair of trousers and reformed them into something new. For something like t-shirts, it would be about €25 and coats could be €90 or €100," she says.
While she freely admits that she never really learned the trade - she didn't go to fashion school - Ruth doesn't feel that it has in any way impeded her progress.
"I absolutely feel that I'm free – the fact that I didn't study it. Doing the fine art and all that – you learn the creative process rather then the design process. I see my fine art, the illustrations and the graphics and fashion all as one thing. There are lots of girls who do fashion who begin to hate it because it can be such hard work and such pressure. It is a really excellent course and people do really well from it, but it can turn it into a chore. Whereas I am still excited and happy with what I do.
"My brothers and sisters are all married with kids and they love what I do but they worry a little - money wise - but they go 'ah sure'– it's always what I said I wanted to do."
Citing Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Tracey Emin and Sarah Lucas as figures she admires – because they make things for themselves – Ruth draws her inspiration from around the world.
She sources her material from all over. Here in Limerick, Hickeys proves useful, while abroad Thailand and even Bangladesh have offered fresh inspiration for her designs.
"Tourists and students go 'oh wow, I have never seen anything like that before and then, which I was very surprised at, you know the Brown Thomas women who shop in boutiques and who want something different to tell their friends about? Well, I was surprised to find that women in their forties and fifties like my designs. They are quite a big percentage of the people who buy the clothes," she explains.
And while it may not be Milan or Paris, Ruth is happy to let Limerick be her stomping ground for the foreseeable future. While many of her friends have ventured to pastures new in a bid to make their fortune, for Ruth Limerick is where it's at. This is not to say that she wasn't tempted to leave, she was, and did, but as the saying goes, love conquers all and in this case it did just that.
"I fell in love, met a nice Limerick boy and decided to stay," she smiles.
The Limerick boy she speaks of is John Elliott, a cartographer, who is at present making a medieval map of Limerick. Their close bond kept her in the city which she now calls home.
"There are lots of friends of mine who went to the art college who moved to where they felt there were more opportunities but I think I'm a bit of an idealist - I want to make a difference here," she says.
"Why go elsewhere if you can maybe change where you are. If more artistic people stay in the city it will become more vibrant. I never wanted the office job. I don't mind being a bit broke if it means I'm happy with what I'm doing."
For more information on Ruth's designs log onto www.nicedaydesigns.etsy.com or check out her blog; www.nicedaydesigns-ruth.blogspot.com.
Alternatively you can meet her in person at the Bedford Row market on Sundays from 12 to five in the afternoon. Clothes are available in sizes eight to 16 and hand-made cards are also available.
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