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Zoom interviews, once a rare occurrence for this writer, are in the current climate much more frequent. In the background of this one with fashion designer Helen Cody, a beautiful landscape is visible in her Dublin home.
Irish Country Living remarks on it. Helen informs that she painted it herself: “Painted in France of a rainy day in Ireland. I was dreaming about Ireland when I was living in France, so I ended up making all of these very rainy landscapes when I was away.”
Helen has worked in fashion all over the world, and the interest has always been there. “My mother, she was an incredible seamstress. She used to knit all our jumpers and make all our dresses. I was the youngest in my family and I would sit beside her. I had this little hand-sewing machine, that you’d wind up and push the fabric through. It was an organic thing watching her and making things myself. I didn’t really know what patterns were, so I used to just work it out and make things for my dolls.”
All of the girls in Helen’s family went to art college and so did she, knowing 100% fashion was the area she wanted to work in. At present, she has actually returned to third-level one day a week, after being accepted into the drawing school of the Royal Hibernian Academy.
After finishing college, Helen went straight to Paris to work with French Vogue and Tunisian designer, the late Azzedine Alaia. Here she fine-tuned her styling skills. She has also worked in London and New York. “I’ve done the whole clichéd fashionista thing,” Helen laughs in good humour.
New York
After Paris, Helen moved to the Big Apple. It was here ideas for her fashion line started to form. Although her apartment was small, there was a little office with space for her sewing machine.
“My head was lifting with all the creativity around me in New York. So I actually started designing there, designing handbags and selling them in Union Square at a Christmas market.
“A girl from Vogue came to the stall one day and said, ‘I’d love to write about your bags. Who are you supplying in New York?’ I ended up carrying a suitcase full of the bags in and out of all the boutiques in SoHo. I took a few orders, rang her back and said, ‘I supply X,Y and Z’.
“I went to my sister’s house in the Caribbean with a massive suitcase full of ingredients, basically to make the bags. I filled the orders when I was down there, then came back and delivered them. I decided this is a thing.”
The day dresses I’ve really adopted into my own wardrobe
After some time, Helen moved back to Ireland in 2013 and re-established her fashion label. Her focus is very much on couture fashion; bridal and occasion wear, once-off, bespoke pieces.
Despite her own couture label, Helen insists she’s “a jeans and jumpers girl”.
“I make lots of shirts and things, so I’ll wear my own. The day dresses I’ve really adopted into my own wardrobe. But, I walk the dog first thing in the morning, so that’s what I dress for. It’s cold weather, so put on a jumper and a pair of jeans; something comfortable and get out.”
Of course, during the pandemic, couture fashion isn’t the best business to be in. Helen had to change tack, making more casual cotton garments, as well as masks. Also, she diversified into drawing fashion, illustrating for international collections.
Supporting ARC
Helen used her drawing skills too during the first lockdown to raise funds for ARC Cancer Support. If you donated €100 to the charity, Helen sent you an original illustration of hers.
At present Helen is also endorsing My Legacy, which ARC is a part of. My Legacy is a group of over 70 Irish charities who work together to encourage legacy gifting in Ireland. November is My Legacy Month, where people are encouraged to leave a legacy gift to a charity in their will.
Getting sick, it focuses your brain to think of all the things that matter and all the things that are important
The fashion designer believes it’s an extremely important initiative, as she never considered making a will until she had cancer herself. “I had never thought about writing a will until I got sick. Getting sick, it focuses your brain to think of all the things that matter and all the things that are important. Leaving a mess behind you is not a good thing. You tidy up your house before you leave. You tidy up you affairs while you’re well, while it’s not a sad thing to be thinking about. I had to do it thinking I was going to die on an operating table, but I didn’t, I’m here and I’m fine. Obviously ARC is a charity that’s very close to my heart. I’ve been working with them since my recovery, I’m an ambassador for them.
People don’t really think about the psychological effects of cancer
“When I became really unwell with the chemo, my oncologist advised me to get in touch with them. I did and availed of their services, as did Rory my husband. It was just transformative how they helped us cope with the devastating effects of what chemo can do psychologically.
“People don’t really think about the psychological effects of cancer, so much as the physical. When I look back on it now it’s the psychological that was much more damaging in the long term.”
Although she has lived and worked in some of the most beautiful cities in the world, Helen certainly has overcome her fair share of adversity. Thankfully, so she can continue to share her beautiful work with the world.
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