Frock stars: Eilis Boyle

Eilis Boyle is an inspiring figure in Irish fashion, and her alluring collections in the loveliest of fabrics have a romantic and graceful elegance.

She has earned an enthusiastic following since she launched her first collection in 2005. Her international background, her training in Spain, her ability to realise innovative ideas through co-operation with others have made her an icon in the Irish fashion industry.

Her Silent Storyteller blog, which gives a rare insight into the day-to-day pressures of a fashion designer and the influences that determine their vision, has a huge following, getting up to 37,000 hits a month.

This month, she launched her 10th collection with a short movie made by Richard Gilligan and styled by Aisling Farinella, which was screened in a Dublin studio to followers and friends. Suspended from the ceiling in the studio were some of the dreamy dresses in couture fabrics, one in soft white hand-frayed chiffon and another in black lace, which can be found in her Bow boutique in Dublin’s Powerscourt Centre. Her latest and most ambitious venture is the launch of an e-commerce site as an experimental exercise until December 10th. Thesilentgallery.com will sell cashmere scarves, neckpieces, arm warmers and shrugs to begin with. It has been a busy year for Boyle as she tries to find time for so many projects, not to speak of occasional piano lessons. “I’ve been getting up at 5am and finishing at midnight. But you just have to go on,” she says. “Anyone working in this business has to have drive. These are hard times, but there are opportunities too and we have great talent in Ireland and there’s no reason why the world should not be looking at us. We are warriors in this industry. Insane warriors.” eilisboyle.com