Jennifer Slattery, a renowned textile designer known for her quirky printed linen napkins and tablecloths, set her mark in womenswear with a white linen shirt inspired by a vintage top with pleated sleeves. This line broadened to include skirts, trousers, dresses and blouses made in various Irish linen weights, along with unique limited-edition pieces.
The debut piece, a linen top named Nancy, continues to be a hot seller and is revived each season. Joining its ranks is another attractive shirt named Maud, made from white tumble-washed linen featuring a small pleated collar. This tumble-washed linen, made more textured and heavy by enduring high temperatures during the washing process and then tumble drying, maintains the same appearance after washing, according to Slattery. This year marks a decade since she began her venture.
With over 20 years since earning a first-class honours degree in graphic design from LYIT in Letterkenny when she was just 21 years old, Slattery’s design career has organically progressed. She has repeatedly acknowledged her parents, Jack and Barbara Slattery, for their support and emphasised the value of establishing and preserving solid relationships with suppliers. This is evident in the genuine and consistent quality of her work and her manufacturing approach. In a conversation at her store, she was hard at work on oversized-collared cobalt blue linen tops that will receive subtle embroidery before being sold at Indigo & Cloth in Temple Bar.
Her attachment to print traces back to her childhood in Zambia, where she resided for five years as a result of her father’s role at global cement giant CRH. She has memories from that period of purchasing fabric at the market with her mother. After furthering her education in textiles venture at the National College of Art and Design back in Ireland, she specialised under the guidance of the talented Nigel Cheney in embroidery, gaining another first-class honours degree and a scholarship that enabled her to study in London for five months.
The turning point in her life was when she realised her need for independence in her work life. Assisted by Arthur Duff, a furniture designer, she acquired a shared studio post her graduation. Her first print of a knife and fork on linen napkins was an instant success and recommended for starting her own business. Since then she continues to work with Emblem, a linen weaver based out of Wexford.
Her Irish linen apparel saw a significant growth in the business within two years. This year, she participated in ‘Create’ for the second time, showcasing her fashion collection. One of her dresses, named ‘Kate’, which featured prawn and knife embossed embroidery caught the public’s eye. Her other creations in the line – trousers, jackets, tops, and twill dresses in black or navy linen – have made their way to shops like Laete in Philadelphia across sea. While her table linens have been taken by Liberty in London.
She explains the process of her design begins with the material, and the embroidery like appliqué is incorporated for the classic, flexible pieces, meant to be washed. The clothes designed are meant to be comfortable, slightly feminine, timeless yet quirky at the same time. These apparels are targeted towards people of all age who value quality and adaptability.
Her dresses and wrap tops are often seen in gingham or check linen, while blouses feature large collars and pleats. The price range for her clothes is from €190 for a striped top to €490 for a dress printed with Irish wildflowers. Linen napkins start at €20 with wedding gift bundles inclusive of tablecloth and napkins priced at €360.
Slattery sees a lot of potential in future partnerships and innovations for her brand. She hints a wave of fun with embroidery in her future collections, adding to the excitement of her fans. More plans are underway, including the integration of wool tweed, as seen in the tweed coat sample she wore by Molloy & Sons of Ardara featuring her own printed Emblem linen lining. She anticipates more wool-based products in the upcoming winter.
The images were captured by Doreen Kilfeather, a photographer, with Lehanna of NotAnother Intl serving as the model. The stylist responsible was Aisling Farinella, while the hair and make-up artistry was provided by Mary Ellen Darby. The shoot took place at Lilliput Press, located on Sitric Road, Dublin 7. We’re deeply grateful to Anthony Farrell and Enejda Nasaj from lilliputpress.ie, and moreover, our sincere appreciation extends to Olivia and her family.