HAVING been involved in the craft and design industry since the age of 11, craft is in Edel MacBride’s DNA.
An award-winning designer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Edel’s story is a fascinating one.
“I was lucky to follow my dream of getting into art school at LYIT. Back then courses involved lots of expensive materials and the 80s were a challenging time. But I had a focus and an eye for fashion, which thankfully has stayed with me,” she said.
This is something of an understatement considering throughout her career Edel has consistently developed her own ideas and designs to international acclaim.
One of the earliest initiatives was developing a retail business in the city of Derry in 1989. And proudly the Craft Village connection remains over 30 years on.
“One of our biggest events was the Showcase Ireland Trade Fair with a base of both Irish and International Retailers, it was hard work but great fun too. You’d want three heads to talk to buyers at times.”
Edel MacBride has been involved in countless fashion shows and saw a growing appreciation for Irish made designs, with a key catalyst being the recession of the late noughties.
During that time she started Knitfield, classes to act as a voice of inspiration to educate people to make their own garments. This led to the development of cultural experiences for visitors, which in turn led to the development of core tours in knitting experiences partnering with a leading Irish tour operator.
Collaboration has always been something inherent in Edel. She’s worked with models and founders such as Donegal’s own Faye Dinsmore to develop a clothing range and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors with the Design and Craft Council of Ireland (DCCI), its only North West representative.
Edel MacBride (left) with some of the 2019 International Knitting Retreat group .
In the North West City Region she’s involved in a co-operative of craft making entrepreneurs from Donegal, Derry and Tyrone. She’s also a leading voice within the Culture Strategy for Derry City and Strabane Council and a key participant at the annual Milwaukee Irish Festival and Summer School, which has a strong connection to the Donegal and the North West.
‘’Growing up at times I wondered why my parents gave so much time to volunteering. I now know why,’’ she says.
The #Pledgescrubs campaign started in March 2020 when Edel contacted Ray Doherty at Moville Shirts. Both were firmly committed to ensuring front line workers did not have to buy scrubs for work. Their tireless dedication saw them raise €85,000 from over 4,000 contributors and make national news for delivering scrubs across the Island of Ireland to HSE and NHS staff. The campaign has received national acknowledgment and recently Edel received an ‘Above and Beyond’ award from the Donegal Association.
Edel’s dedication to all things local also saw her become a key contributor to the inaugural #BuyDonegal campaign in 2020.
“This came about very suddenly as I’d been focusing on launching a new website that was more relatable to my online audience in lockdown. The pandemic redefined ‘community’ and helped broaden the campaign’s appeal. During the campaign my website traffic and sales were good and for me it was important that the #BuyDonegal message reflected a quality standard my customer expects.’’
#BuyDonegal takes place from November 5 to December 31. The official campaign launch webinar is on Wednesday October 27 for which you can register here, https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_99UIRNw4Qri_4NhGTlwpYw
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