Growing up on a dairy farm in rural Roscommon, goldsmith and jewellery designer Lydia Clayton never imagined that years later she would be taking her work to Ireland Fashion Week.

Lydia, who was a cover star in Irish Country Living back in November 2024, will exhibit at Ireland Fashion Week at Windmill QTR in Dublin on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October. She has been selected as one of 90 designers taking part in the national event, showcasing Irish fashion, jewellery and accessories.

It’s a double celebration for the Roscommon native, who is celebrating four years in business and her birthday on 10 October.

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Lydia specialises in making one-off jewellery inspired by mythology and the ancient landscapes of the county. \Claire Nash

For Lydia, the journey from the family dairy farm in Athleague, Co Roscommon, to the higher echelons of the fashion world has been shaped by the same values she learned growing up.

“I wasn’t one of those children who just stood in the gap watching. From a young age, we were out helping mum and dad. I’d be helping dad paint and work on machinery, and I’d occasionally be in the milking parlour milking cows too. There was always something to be done, and you were expected to get stuck in.”

A stunning ring created by Roscommon goldsmith Lydia Clayton.

Painting machinery

Her dad Tommy has always enjoyed doing up old farm machinery, and being involved from a young age gave Lydia an appreciation for making, fixing and working with her hands. Growing up watching both her parents, Tommy and Mary, work hard, often regardless of the weather, also taught her determination, resilience and a strong work ethic.

Those values have stayed with Lydia throughout more than 13 years of training and working as a goldsmith. Being surrounded by machinery also influenced some of her early jewellery designs, with the shapes, forms and details around the farm finding their way into her creative work. She was also inspired by the glitz of her granny’s jewellery box when she was a child.  

Goldsmith and jewellery designer Lydia Clayton with her donkey at home in Co Roscommon. \ Claire Nash

Today, Lydia creates completely bespoke jewellery, designing and making one-off pieces herself that she sees as future heirlooms. She showcases her work on @lydiaclaytongoldsmith on Instagram.

Her jewellery certainly tells a story, with the mythology and Celtic-inspired tales of Ireland and the land behind her Queen Medbh collection, which she will showcase at Ireland Fashion Week alongside a selection of bespoke pieces created for clients over the years.

Lydia holding the stunning Roscommon Rose pendant she made from yellow gold with a blue tanzanite stone telling the history of Co Roscommon and its crest. \ Claire Nash

“I like the tribalness (of Celtic mythology and design), but I enjoy doing it in a more contemporary way,” she told Irish Country Living back in 2024.

She is very inspired by the ancient landscapes of nearby Rathcroghan and is extremely proud of where she comes from.

“The farm is a huge part of who I am and definitely influenced how I work. The determination and attention to detail I learned growing up have stayed with me.”

From helping her dad restore farm machinery and occasionally milking cows to exhibiting her own jewellery on a national stage, Lydia sees Ireland Fashion Week as an exciting milestone in her career.

“I’m really looking forward to bringing my jewellery to Ireland Fashion Week, but I’m just as proud to be bringing a little bit of Roscommon with me,” she concludes.

A bespoke ring created by Lydia.