Unique style

Irish women designers continue to have an impact at home and abroad, writes Carol O’Callaghan

NOT too long ago I attended a design show abroad for this column and fell into conversation with the commercial attaché of the Irish embassy.

As I tried to impress upon him the need for the state to get behind our design industry — selling abroad in order to keep these small businesses going — I was vaguely aware of the furrowed brow of confusion settling into his face. I stopped mid-flow as he butted in, “Does Ireland have a design industry? Do you mean Ikea?”.