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It is apparent on speaking to Marion Murphy-Cooney, an award-winning fashion designer from Limerick, that she is a fighter. Not in any kind of aggressive sense – far from it, she is delightfully chatty throughout our interview – rather it is an attitude, a determination to overcome any difficulties she encounters, an admirable focus on realising her dream.

There are a few things she says that make me think this. One is an anecdote about how she got into a dressmaking course for adults when she was just 15.

Of the course she says: “It wasn’t meant for my age group; it was an evening class for adults, but I hounded them so much they gave in in the end. I learned a hell of a lot from it.”

Murphy-Cooney credits it with teaching her “the technical stuff” connected with dressmaking, adding that despite her tender years her teacher was very supportive of her.

The other story that demonstrates what a tenacious woman she is and gives us a clue as to why she has become such a successful businesswoman is slightly more serious.

After her Leaving Cert, Murphy-Cooney applied for and was accepted into the Limerick School of Art and Design. (She did the interview in an outfit she had designed and made herself).

However, in the second year of her fashion-design course she discovered she was pregnant. Needless to say it meant a majorreadjustment to her lifestyle.

“It put a stop to everything,” she says. “My partner had a good job but even with that I couldn’t afford to stay in college. I needed to get out and earn a wage.”

She says this change in direction just made her more determined. “I still had my dreams; I wasn’t going to be another statistic.”

A learning curve

Back in the working world, Murphy-Cooney began cutting her teeth in the world of marketing, having found a job as a brand ambassador for a wine and spirit merchant in Limerick.

“I had no marketing skills at the beginning, but I learned a huge amount – about point of sale, getting a brand ‘out there’. It was great experience.”

Meanwhile, the demand for Murphy-Cooney’s sewing skills was beginning to build up. “People would ask me: ‘Can you make this, can you make that – outfits for parties, weddings, debs, even costumes for a dance company. The orders started to grow through word of mouth.”

Eventually demand reached such a point that she asked her bosses whether she could go part time in her marketing job, to which they agreed.

Then, in the timeless tradition of all success stories, came a number of ‘big breaks’. The first could probably be more accurately described as a ‘medium-sized’ break and involved a local boutique called Tippe Canoe, which sells high-end labels in Limerick City.

They agreed to stock some of her pieces – a coup in and of itself – but the added bonus was that this shop was also‘dressing’ a group called Sweet Charity, three girls who were supporting Phil Coulter on tour. The girls wore some of Murphy-Cooney’s pieces and loved them. According to Murphy-Cooney, the publicity this generated meant that business “snowballed”.

Grant assistance

In 2006 she approached her local enterprise board for a grant and was awarded €3,500, enough to buy herself a new sewing machine and fund various other setting-up costs. In the same year she won the Best New Business award in the Tipperary North County Enterprise Awards. (At this point she was living in Tipperary with her partner – now husband – and their two children, Caoimhe and Conor.)

She says that initial award was a great confidence boost, and in the intervening years she has won many more. These days, she has nothing but praise for her local enterprise board.

“They’re always there at the other end of the phone. They’ve sent me on courses, set me up with a mentor. I know if I have a problem all I have to do is call them, which I frequently do!”

Murphy-Cooney’s second break (and this time it was a big one) came while showcasing some of her pieces at a charity fashion show in Adare. As it happened, celebrity presenter Lorraine Keane was there and Murphy-Cooney grabbed the opportunity to introduce herself.

“I was quite brazen with Lorraine. I went up to her with my card and said to her if there was anything she ever needed to give me a shout.”

Sure enough, Keane got back in touch within days saying she had loved the collection and asking her to send up some pieces for a photo shoot. It was to be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Things really ratcheted up a notch in 2007 when Keane won the best-dressed award at the VIP fashion awards in Dublin. The creation she was wearing on the night was a stunning champagne-coloured gown designed by Murphy-Cooney.

“I’m just so appreciative of all the support Lorraine has given me. Through her I’ve got exposure on ‘Ireland AM’ and ‘Xposé’, and she frequently mentions my name in interviews.”

Murphy-Cooney acknowledges that television coverage is worth its weight in gold.

“I was on Ireland AM in April, and literally the phone was ringing off the hook for days after it.”

Looking through her portfolio, it’s not hard to see why Keane and other celebrities (Maura Derrane and Celia Holman-Lee are also fans) would be so enamoured of Murphy-Cooney’sdesigns. Her style harks back to a vintage, nostalgic era, with a focus on strong tailoring and corsetry.

However, given the current hard times we’re experiencing, are people actually able to afford such luxurious beskpoke fashion?

“To be honest, this has been my busiest year yet,” says Murphy-Cooney. “I guess some of that is connected to the exposure I’ve got, but it’s also that people want something they can invest in – a piece of clothing that will last rather than something that is disposable. Also, I’ll work within a person’s budget. If they want me to design an outfit for €500, of course I will. And my corsetry starts at about €150.”

As for the future of the business, she says she is keen to grow it but in a measured way so as to keep the integrity and uniqueness of her brand.

“A while ago I really wanted to get into the manufacturing side. It was more of an ego thing. I wanted to see my pieces stocked in boutiques and shops the way other designers were. But my enterprise-board mentor pointed out the problems with that and suggested I stick with what I knew for now. To be honest, it was good advice.”

Given the turmoil in economic markets, Murphy-Cooney’s sensible, slowly-slowly approach has stood to her, and she already has orders for next year. Other avenues that have opened up include the world of film: she recently designed the outfits for the Irish film Eden, which was nominated for an award at the Cannes Film Festival.

As regards fashion heroes, she cites Alexander McQueen “for his tailoring, his creativity and his humour”, and Joanne Hynes for combining beautiful designs with sound business principles.

“She has done incredibly well. I’d love to grow my business in a similar way to hers, doing small collections and stocking them in high-end stores.”

Life’s lessons

Her next step is to take on another seamstress and continue building her profile.

As an interviewer rarely asks a man how he juggles family life and a high-flying career I’m reluctant to raise the issue with Murphy-Cooney, but we do touch on it towards the end.

“It’s a juggling act, definitely,” she admits. “And because my home and studio are in the one building, there can be a sense of cabin fever.”

However, she stresses that becoming a mum at such a young age has been the spur she needed to really follow her dream. “I always think it got me to where I am now. It’s not the end of the world people imagine it to be.”

In fact, for Murphy-Cooney, one can’t help thinking it was just the beginning.

Marion Murphy-Cooney was one of the entrepreneurs profiled on National Women’s Enterprise Day on 20 November.

This article originally appeared in Owner Manager magazine.