Feature; Grainne Binns

For the third of our October editions of Fashion Soc Features, we caught up with Grainne Binns, to discuss the modern day Instagram Influencer and the many variations of the job spec, sustainability and ethics, how to break into the fashion industry, as well as the feat of finding your personal style.

How would you describe yourself? What do you do?

I work at Nine crows, then I obviously run my Instagram account as well, but I feel like there's such toxicity around the word influencer. But I suppose an influencer because I influence people, so yeah social media influencer. I run my Instagram, I have my YouTube and then over lockdown I got into Tik Tok.

As well as that, I do bits of styling and I just launched my T shirt brand. I'm actually doing a bit of graphics for other people sometimes as well, so yeah a bit of everything.

Tell us about social. Did you find that your social media grew organically or do you make a conscious effort in order to keep up and expand your platform?

For me like it wasn't ever about ‘oh I want to be an influencer’ it was more just like, I love clothes and I want to share my clothes and people would always say to me ‘how do you have the confidence to wear what you do?’ so for me it was more like, I want to show people that it's not actually a big deal, like you just have to just do it. You know if you want to wear something, like what’s stopping you really other than yourself. I know people are like ‘people are gonna say this and blah blah blah’, but it's like you know you're actually the only person stopping yourself, so I guess it was more like that for me.

But it was probably around 2017, I had a blog and stuff before then but I just kind of used to post (once) a week. Before that, when I was about 16 or so I had a ‘look-book’, it was basically like Instagram before Instagram, people just used to post outfits! I had a Tumblr as well where I used to post my outfits.

So that was all very organic, but it was around 2017 when I was like… I guess I recognise what you can do from this, I was like OK I'm kind of doing this anyway and have been, so I'm just going to put more time and effort into it and that was when I decided to start posting consistently and like structure my posts, and then I just took it really seriously from there and then it kind of grew I guess!

Are you into sustainable fashion?

Yes I am! I’m working in nine crows and I've shopped vintage and thrift since I was about 15. At the time it wasn't about the planet, everyone was just like ‘global warming!’ but it wasn't like ‘oh we’re dying.’ That was almost 10 years ago now, so it was kind of just like I shopped vintage and thrift because I was finding my personal style. I was so against high street stores, because everyone looked the same! I didn't want to look like anyone else, so that was how I got into it.

I remember PLT starting out, and I remember at the time when they first started they were pretty cool - it was something that hadn’t been done before.I kind of started shopping there but as the years went on I was like ok no, they literally just mass produce there's no individuality to their clothes anymore, so then I went back to thrifting and I love it.

I think as well working in nine crows now, I always see the deliveries as they come in and you’re just instantly like ‘Oh my God!’ I do a bit of work up in the warehouse there now and then, so it's first grabs on the nicest stuff that comes in! To be honest I don’t even really shop that much, I kind of see things at work and just pick them up. But if I were to shop, I would mainly go vintage and thrift shops. If I go somewhere - even in Ireland, on Holidays, like the first thing I do is look up what vintage and thrift shops are there to explore - my family hate me for it. I remember we were in San Diego last year and I was like ‘We have to go to all of these shops’.

Do you ever feel pressure as someone who is an influencer and also happens to thrift to constantly promote sustainability? Do you feel like you can’t buy new, or at certain shops?

If I am I'm shopping first hand I'm more kind of shopping independent brands, my thing is even if it's not 100% sustainable, if it's not eco-cotton or like 100% sustainably made, or the materials aren't 100% sustainable, if it comes from an independent seller I think that's my main kind of importance.

At the end of the day, you're giving an independent person their living as opposed to these huge corporations who aren't paying their workers fairly.

I do a lot of work with Elsie and Fred and so all of the pieces that I get from them are new, but where my ethics lies with them is that they’re so open about where their factories are. They have a factory in China where they started manufacturing with a family owned business - Elsie & Fred is made up of a brother and two sisters as well, and then as they grow, their manufacturer’s family business grows too. They’re very open about how they source their clothes and all of that, so for me that's where my feeling with ethics lies, everything is really open there.

On fast fashion, sometimes I buy the odd bit off like ASOS or whatever yeah, but my thing with that is asking myself ‘How much do I want this and how much am I gonna wear it?’, ‘Is it just for an Instagram post?’ Once I can justify how long I'm going to wear it, then I'm kind of okay to go ahead with that and it would be the same with working with brands. I definitely would never work with bigger brands and corporations, if there's smaller kinds of brands, I'm like OK they're definitely not 100% sustainable. I consider whether or not I love their pieces and obviously I have to make a living also.

Do you ever feel you battle with re-wearing clothes for your Instagram posts? With the way things now, so many people want to see new outfits all the time which isn’t the most sustainable option.

To be honest I find I like re-wearing things, I think it shows off your styling capabilities, like if I can restyle something without people really generally noticing. That’s what I do a lot, I’ve re-worn things and I just style them completely differently! A lot of the time I shoot my content from home or have a content shooting day, I don't really care about wearing it out again because the world hasn't seen it, just my Instagram.

But even on posting things twice, I had a little set that had been sitting in my wardrobe for months that was gifted to me over lockdown that I posted on my Instagram. Then, a few weeks ago I was going out for my friend’s birthday, I was like ‘My God, what the hell am I gonna wear?’ and I realised that I had literally only worn it to my garden, and thought what the hell it needs it’s time to shine! All my friends were getting pictures and so I got another and I posted it again and you would not even notice like my hair was different and it was a different background, unless you actually scrolled down my feed you wouldn’t have noticed. People don’t even think about (re-styling a piece) - they think because they’ve worn something once they have to sell it on Depop.

I’d imagine most of your wardrobe is second hand, seeing as you have so many unique pieces. What are your go to shops? Or are you more into online shopping for second hand?

To be honest, I don’t really shop on Depop a lot just because I find it really annoying. I find it kind of hard to find the really good pieces. During lockdown, I missed shopping vintage so much, so I tried Depop and I literally spent like four hours on there and I found a skirt - I didn’t even love it I just wanted something at that point. I actually got that from a seller called ‘Tanis Vintage’ who does actually have a really good selection. I also like Sugar and Spice vintage, she’s a girl from Dublin. (I like) Mimi’s Garms who is not on Depop anymore, but now has her own website, I loved her Depop but now I love her site! They would be my top Depop sellers.

In terms of Dublin vintage shops, obviously I’m a bit biased so I’m gonna say Nine Crows but even before I worked there it was always one of my favourite shops to shop in. Then you have Tola Vintage, Dublin Vintage factory - who actually have a new shop in Temple Bar which I’ve heard is unreal! Then Lucy’s Lounge and then all of the charity shops on Georges street and Capel street too.

How are you kind of navigating second hand shopping while also being aware of the problem with the gentrification of charity and thrift shops these days?

The thing is, if you think about how time consuming charity shopping is, it's kind of an art! It's genuinely such a skill, so think about Depop sellers that actually spend their whole days and sometimes a couple of days doing this, finding the best pieces. Obviously when people have unnecessary mark-ups that are just absolutely ridiculous, that isn't right, but I genuinely think most Depop sellers are not out to make a huge profit.

For example Sugar and Spice vintage or even Mimi’s Garms just have enough profit to live off and at the end of the day they’re saving us all of this time in the charity shops. We’re basically paying them a fee for finding these really unreal pieces, because we probably wouldn't find them. I just feel like it's an art in itself, being able to go in and come out with these great pieces, because when I go charity shopping, I find that it's maybe one in five times that I'll go in and come out and be like ‘Oh my gosh I got such a good deal.’ But most times when I do go onto these Depop sellers, I'll always find something that I like so I find the markup is a fee being paid to them for them finding these pieces and their time in their effort.

I know you're into sustainability, but do you ever feel like there is a certain pressure put on influencers like yourself who happen to be interested in sustainable fashion, to speak out on social issues or carry certain movements on their backs?

I'm a very emotional sensitive person. It's never pressure for me, I just feel like it's something I have to do. I have this platform, it would be stupid of me not to use it for that. Even during lockdown, there was the Black Lives Matter movement, and it was heavy and dark and I really struggled a lot. I was just like this is so unfair and I honestly can't even imagine. I just knew I can't not post anything about this. I lost some followers because of it, but at the end of the day the trash takes itself out, like good riddance. If you don't want to hear this then you're part of the problem and I don't want you here on my page anyways.

Do you have any advice for people interested in the fashion industry that or that want to be influencer, maybe on how to get started or build an Instagram following?

My first thing would be to have a backbone. I would say just say yes to everything. Don't be afraid of criticism, at the end of the day I really feel like fashion is such a spectrum. People aren't going to like your work and some people are going to love it. I would say ask - especially with styling, just asking stylists if you can assist them for the day, it really gives you an insight into how shoots work! When I finished college, I did a few assisting jobs. I assisted with a TV shoot and a runway show as well, I also did some editorial ones. So, because of that I got to see different sides of the fashion industry and how different sides work.

Also, internships! But be careful of them, try not to let yourself be exploited. I hate even saying it, but working for free kind of comes with the fashion industry and so even just try to have your lunch and your transport covered. It is unfortunate and hopefully that will change, I always say if I'm in a position to have an intern I'm not doing it until I can pay them. Try to see everything as an experience especially when you’re new and try to see everything as a learning curve.

I would say try to organise test shoots as well with the photographer and makeup artists. I think college societies are great for that! When I went to DCU, I styled the fashion show for two years and that was a great experience. So basically, say yes to everything, collaborate with people, try and assist people and don't be afraid because there is literally no time or space for you to be afraid.

It's cutthroat and so many people want to work in fashion, it has to be your life. I remember my parents saying everybody wants to work in fashion, but for me I knew that it was what I was born to do. I don't want to do anything else.

What advice would you give to someone that wants to shop sustainably and has seen the effects that the fashion industry has on the planet, but wants to find their personal style and really get into fashion?

I would probably say just play with clothes. I feel like when you're deciding what your style is, you kind of have some idea of what you like - everybody is influenced from something. Especially nowadays, we have this overload of online images. I know when I was finding mine, I used Tumblr and look-books a lot. So, I kind of just played with things that I saw online. Having seen people and images that I was influenced from, I kind of figured out the aesthetic that I wanted to build for myself. From there it was playing with clothes that I found suited me.

I look back at some of my outfits and I cringe, like ‘Who let me out of the house!’ But that’s all part of it like I’m sure in ten years time, I’ll look back at some of my outfits now and think “Was I okay?” and now, every day I’m like ‘Ugh I am killing it!’

Where do you get your style inspiration?

I would probably look towards runway, rather than one individual person.

I have people that I’m like woah like I love your style like Sita Abellan, she’s probably my biggest style inspiration. She’s a DJ / stylist / fashion figure, but she always has the most incredible outfits and I’ve followed her for years. Then people with similar styles to me, I kind of just draw from people and runway and Pinterest and choose my favourite elements from things and then make it into my own.

I’m not going to lie and say I don’t take inspiration from other people because obviously I do, I think everyone in the fashion world does. Fashion is art, and art imitates art.

I know Covid has put a bit of a spanner in the works, but do you have any big plans coming our way? The Irish fashion industry is growing, is there a particular aspect of the industry that you’re drawn to working in in the future?

I have some more T-shirts and I actually have a hoodie coming out soon, so I’ll probably have them within the next four weeks or so. From there, I want to keep building on that - doing clothes I guess, doing my own clothes. Hopefully we get a summer next year, I’d loved to have sourced a manufacturer by then, to be able to launch my own designs - so that’s my biggest goal in terms of fashion at the moment.

I also just want to keep doing Instagram, as hard work as it is I really love it But for now the t-shirts are my biggest passion project, because I want to launch it all as a brand. It’s weird because the pandemic really made me think that I need to change my whole life around, so in a lot of ways I’m very grateful for it, I’m trying to see it as some sort of cursed blessing in disguise.

You can follow Grainne @grainnebinns and her brand Subtle Poison @subtlepoiison on Instagram.

Feature; Ruth Walsh

We sat down with blogger and Instagrammer Ruth Walsh (aka Ruthy Ruby) for our second feature of Fresher’s Week. From her dreamy yet effortless Instagram feed, to her articulate blog posts, Ruthy Ruby’s unapologetic, free approach to life pervades all she does. We caught up with the Cork native this month, picking her brain on all things personal style, metropolitan living and building unabashed confidence.

Ella: Tell us about yourself!

It all started when I moved to New York. At the end of the day, it was a completely soulful experience for me. I’m a very free-spirited person, and I felt like I didn’t really fit into certain things until I moved there, because when I got there I was just immersed in so many different types of cultures and people, the art and music scene, it all just made sense to me and I felt like I could really express myself over there.

Before that, I was in Dublin interning for L'Oreal, doing PR, and I looked at my life and thought, “God, I don’t really want to be a kind of 9 to 5, going into Zara to buy my flowery dresses for my 5 day week job”. It didn’t really sit right with me, and I don’t like to follow what everyone else is doing. It freaks me out.

When I got there, I was like, this is it, I’m going to stay forever, but it gets so exhausting so the year was fine! I was working in a bar, I was a nanny, I then got a job in a PR agency which I hated and only stayed there for three months which was so funny because I went there so I could have New York on my resume. They work you really hard over there and I had to evaluate what I wanted my year out to be; did I want to run myself into the ground, or experience New York the proper way? So I quit that job after three months. I got a job in a sports bar for men, and I actually learned a lot about myself. The way they treat women working in bars over there is really bad. I knew I was only there for a short time so I tried to make the most of it.

The rest of the time was the best time of my life. Myself and Tar Marz would literally just get up, meet for coffee, text each other the night before about an outfit we had to shoot, and we just did that for like 8 months.

Ella: Do you think your personal style developed during that time?

I think it was definitely there beforehand; I was raised in such a way that I was left to explore myself. I’m not from a conservative family, I was never told no when I wanted to wear something. I think that parenting style is really progressive. I had it from the get-go. I was a teenager in the Juicy tracksuit and Uggs! Fifth and sixth year were crazy blocky platforms that you’d almost slip in and break your ankle, and bodycon dresses. Then I chopped all my hair off and had a really short bob, very 20s style.

But the whole time, looking back, I kept my wardrobe staples. I’ve always had the high-waisted jean, the crop top, I’ve always been in a pair of Converse, the leather mini, the turtleneck or blouse. I feel like though my look has changed I’ve kept the same pieces. New York was when I was like, “Right, I can wear what I want, I can wear a bra and jeans if I want, I can do no makeup or full face”.

Isabel: Is Dublin a different atmosphere in terms of confidence about style?

It kind of kills me sometimes. I don’t know about you, but I love when I see someone that’s holding themselves so well, they’re happy in what they’re wearing, they’re experimenting with something different. That really gets me going. It’s few and far in between when I see someone like that. Those kinds of people inspire me.

Sometimes on a night out for example you could see loads of people in the same type of thing, it could be lads in those ribbed jackets. There’s just a mass of them. Or girls with the same fake tan and dresses. I mean, everyone wants to look good when they’re going out, it’s objective. Wear a pair of jeans if you want, but balance it out with a sexy top, vary the materials, focus on either glossy skin or eye makeup. I just love when people stand out a bit.

I would love to see individuality, that’s something I really miss. With the lockdown and everything, I’ve realised that for me to be happy I have to live closer to my really creative friends, that Dublin scene.

Ella: I get that; if you’re in a metropolis like New York you’re going out, seeing different styles. It’s a lot easier to fall into a rut if you’re seeing the same thing all the time. Leading from that, how would you describe your personal style?

I think the main thing is being eclectic, like today I’m in a cute French inspired sundress, and tomorrow I could be in my baggy 90s denim jeans with a crop top. It totally varies. Sometimes I can look like I’m on the way to ballet class, but on a motorbike!

Ella: You have such a fab clear-cut aesthetic; would you say your online presence is reflective of your style?

In the beginning I tried to do the whole minimalist theme; I tried to slot myself into that. Largely you’ll find it doesn’t take a lot of creativity to do the same thing all the time, use the same colorway and themes. I don’t do that at all, I just share what I see and if I want to share something it doesn’t matter where it is, it just happens to slot in. I think that’s why people follow my style, because it’s straight off the iPhone, here I am, here’s my outfit.

It’s so nice to find someone who’s just like, I feel good, here I am, rather than streamlined content.

Isabel: In Dublin, I feel like a lot of influencers, using that term loosely, can’t venture outside their comfort zone. How have you come to this place where you don’t need to curate what you upload or wear?

That’s the thing, because I’d probably grow a lot faster and reach more people if I started doing samey-samey things like other people. That’s a no-brainer, I’ve thought a lot about that. It’s due to the fact that I don’t have the usual grid that I’m not growing as fast, not that I want to, but over lockdown some bloggers have just shot up in followers. They think about it a lot more. But I don’t want to all of a sudden change my online strategy and become grabby or attention seeking.

I don’t want to be something online that I truly am not in person. I’m such an eccentric person, and I don’t want to ever curb that and become clear-cut in what you can expect from me. I share what I like about beauty, fashion, art and music.

Ella: Where do you draw inspiration from? Eras, art periods, music genres?

I’ll start with music. In the last year and a half, music has just transformed how I dress myself. I’m listening to a lot of psychedelic rock at the moment. Something about it makes me want to dress myself in a floaty, sexy way, as if I could go from work to a night out and transition what I’m wearing that way. I just love that easy, simple, not-fussy way. I barely wear heels, if I do it’s just like an espadrille.

I’m very inspired by icons of the past. In particular a huge French inspiration lately, I cut my bangs and whenever I don’t know what to wear I look back on Jane Birkin or Sofia Loren. I love that strong female energy that movie stars of the past have.

Ella: Ever since Isabel and I met, we’ve been going on about cutting our bangs and we haven't done it yet!

Guys, do it if you’re on the edge!

Ella: You’ve lived in a few cities; Dublin, New York, Cork; do you find yourself to be a bit of a sponge in terms of absorbing the energy of a place and transitioning your style?

You can’t deny your fashion tempo. There’s nothing worse than being in a situation where you’re dressed completely wrong; I love being comfortable. Saying that, I’ve stayed at the same pace and have the same pieces for the last two and a half years. I’ve just gotten into Levi jeans, I wear the rib cage. They’re life-changing, I just ordered another pair last night.

I just love finding something that fits right, that you feel really attractive, sexy and confident in. I’ll just buy it in like three colours.

Ella: I always think that’s the French way, they find what suits them and wear it ‘til they die.

Exactly!

Isabel: On your blog you mention working in a judgement-free environment. Would you have any advice for someone new to college looking to develop their own style who may be afraid of judgement?

That’s such a tough question, I’ve been there, I’ve worked in a big multinational company where some of the women have queen bee syndrome. It's almost like they don’t want new younger women in the office to look better than them. It’s a weird undercurrent.

I would just say stick to your guns, consistency is key in everything you do in life. If you want to commit to owning your style or arriving at work or college in a certain look, commit to it.

Don’t let people’s judgement curb that. That’ll seep into everything else in your life. That’s my motto, “When you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you can tackle anything”. So whatever way you want to look good, make it happen, stick to it, be consistent. You forget as well, most people who judge you, it’s coming from a place of insecurity. It’s not your problem at all. It’s theirs. If ever I feel judged, I just keep thinking that. I need to stay true to who I am, because I know who I am.

Ella: You have such an eclectic mix of clothing pieces. What are your shopping habits?

Just like my style, I shop quite eclectically. I shop a lot on Asos. I buy something there once or twice a month. It’s gone from stupid small purchases to bigger purchases. As I’m getting older, I’m seeing the value in stuff I feel good in and I’m investing in them. I love a good chazza shop - maybe three times a year I’ll find something in a charity shop. My last purchase was a leather blazer by Principles (your Moms would probably know, it’s a 90s brand). Obviously New York was the mecca for clothing, but I don’t like shopping for sh*t anymore. I have so much stuff already. I love to get little pieces and just multiply them.

Ella: Over the last few years, sustainability is cropping up over and over. Do you find now you buy less, are you more aware than you might’ve been in the last couple of years?

Definitely. I’ve never been a Pretty Little Thing, Missguided hun or whatever, it just never sat with me. But you can say that about Asos, you can say you’re supporting it. You can’t escape what’s happening, it’s everywhere. I try my best to not do Primark or any of the crappy, obvious ones. I try my best.

Ella: What are your go-to staples, what should everyone have?

I’m blue in the face from screaming this! Everyone needs a pair of ribcage Levi’s. They’re incredible. Size down, they pull you in, they’re divine. A gorgeous oatmeal cropped cardigan. A really good slip skirt, a pair of doc’s. Those staples will get you through.

Ella: Is there anyone in the industry you admire or resonate with?

It’s a tough question. I don’t aspire to be anyone else. I have a select few bloggers I look to and admire. I don’t die for certain people or want to be anyone else.

Quick Fire Round:

New York or Dublin?

Dublin just for politics, feck it.

Dublin or Cork:

Dublin.

Describe your personal style in just three words:

Eclectic, feminine, chic.

Online shopping or bricks and mortar:

Bricks and mortar.

Vintage or new?

You can get more substance from vintage but new is more accessible. I’d have to say vintage.

Dresses or trousers? I’m in between all of these! Jeans.

Heels or flats? Flats.

Visit Ruthy Ruby’s blog https://ruthyrubynyc.wordpress.com/ for further insight into her world of travel, beauty and culture.

For some gorge visuals, check out her Instagram @ruthyruby!

Feature: Tara Stewart

We caught up with Tara Stewart earlier this month. A podcaster, DJ with RTE 2FM, Instagrammer and TikTok mogul amongst other things, Stewart could only be described as multifaceted. We discussed everything from the beginnings of her distinct and curated personal style, being a creative in the modern day and the catch-22 of representation and responsible consumption.

How would you describe what you do?

I think these days you have to be a jack of all trades, and sometimes I’m like, ‘I wish I was an adult in the 80s or 90s when you could just have one career’, you know? But it’s not like that anymore unfortunately, especially when it comes to something in media and creative things. I would say I am a DJ, radio presenter and podcaster. An Instagrammer as well. I love Instagram and I use that to my advantage for all my other bits, so it’s all a circular thing.

Is Instagram an outlet or source of inspiration for you?

Definitely. Instagram and now even Tiktok is an amazing space for inspiration lately. My algorithm knows me very well now, so I’m getting lots of deadly thrifting girls and thrift hauls. Also Pinterest; I’m always on Pinterest for homeware and fashion inspiration. Instagram I love because I use it as my creative outlet.

I’ve always had a weird relationship with Instagram because sometimes I’m like, ‘no, I don’t want to get sucked into social media, I don’t want to have my life revolve around it, I want to live my real life’. Now with all of this happening, everything is online, it’s like real life isn’t actually happening. Having to adapt to being online is definitely what I’ve been doing more of.

Of all the careers you have had, do you think music has influenced your style the most?

Yeah, I’d say definitely. A lot of 90s stuff, that’s my jam, at the same time I love 80s style as well. I’d say pop culture; the old school VMA’s, music and movies. I think the fashion from then was really fun! Even in the 80s for men it just seemed to be a lot more flamboyant and adventurous. It’s funny how men were wearing whatever they wanted to wear, and it’s kind of gone a little bit backwards now. People talk about it as if it's a weird thing and it’s just started happening. You see on so many red carpets from back then, women wearing suits to award shows. People had more fun and didn’t really care what others thought. That’s why I like to take inspiration from that time.

Would you say that your style has evolved with your career?

When I was a teenager I was mostly doing music. I was wearing a mix between granny blazers with dramatic buttons but also a hippy, floral vibe. I didn’t really know who I was. I was also wearing skater shoes and jelly sandals because that’s what was cool back then! At the same time, I never really liked to define my style to a specific space. I love to wear hip hop inspired fooboo jackets and Yankee bombers and that Missy Elliot vibe but I also love to dress in a Clueless kind of vibe. That’s why fashion is so fun, you don’t have to have one specific aesthetic, everything that’s your taste you can totally mix it all together. Where I’m from, there was a K-Mart which is like Penney’s, and one Billabong surf shop. I wasn’t a big fan, so I used to shop in Vincent’s all the time and buy vintage granny clothes, which wasn’t a cool thing to do at the time. It was kind of embarrassing, but I loved it.

When I got into my early twenties, I moved here and was starting a new life, and my style went very basic. It’s no shade on people that want to wear minimal clothes, but I definitely didn’t really know what I wanted to wear. I kind of felt like, especially because I was working as a waitress, you can’t really express yourself in uniform. I thought, ‘what’s the point in wearing what you want outside of work?’. Waitressing was my identity for some reason. Eventually when I got out of waitressing and got more into music I went full circle and got back to a space where I could really express myself in fashion again. I guess I wore clothes that I always wanted to wear but weren’t accessible in Alice Springs. When bomber jackets and high waisted things became fashionable; to be able to get a high waisted jean when I was in my teens, that was impossible! Finding the likes of American Apparel was a dream at the time.

I think for many of us, the way we shop has evolved over the past few years. What are your shopping habits like?

I shop pretty much completely charity, thrift, vintage. I was never into fast fashion; all my friends are into vintage clothes, so it wasn’t a thing in my circle. I never really shopped on the high street.

Through DJ’ing, I was working for these fast fashion brands and they would offer me clothes, and when I saw that they were catering to larger sizes for on-trend stuff, that sold me. I thought the size inclusivity was amazing. It’s disappointing that only the fast fashion brands are size inclusive; I wish that more ethical brands were more size inclusive. It makes it harder for bigger sizes. I get the odd thing here and there from Monki, they offset their carbon emissions a lot, same with Collusion. They only do limited runs of their collections and they do it by seasons. They also do my size. I’m dying for House of Sunny and Paloma Wool to do my size. It’s so annoying!

Do you think the industry is getting more size inclusive?

In terms of fast fashion, yes. That’s the annoying thing. Like, I never want to shame anyone for having to buy fast fashion. Especially if they can’t get their size. I’m a size XL or size 16 and still House of Sunny and Paloma Wool don’t cater for my size. I’m not shading them because I love their stuff, but these are gorgeous, really popular sustainable brands that unfortunately aren’t catering to the bigger size. So the industry is becoming more size inclusive but it’s being done by the brands that are more damaging in another way, so it’s kind of a funny one. You’re being empowering and including more people on the outside but at the end of the day the clothes that are being sold aren’t being made in an ethical way.

It’s confusing because on paper you look like you’ve got a great ethos but behind the scenes you don’t.

On my podcast last week, I had a guest who owns a label called ‘We Are Kin’, she goes up to sizes 24/26, and one time when a girl asked her she made a size 30. But I think we all know by now that you need to make bigger patterns, the reason why lots of brands go up to size 12 is because you can use the one pattern. But these days people aren’t just that size.

It’s just like, pay workers the right wage, stop producing so much stuff as well.. I was listening to a really interesting podcast called Sweatpants Forever, talking about the fall of the fashion industry as it is. Saying that buyers are the reason why there’s such a huge demand for new collections, it’s not down to the consumer or designers. The designers have to keep up with buyers wanting exclusive collections in stores. At the end of the day consumers aren’t stupid but if you’re given all these new clothes all the time you’re obviously going to be like, ‘Deadly, I’m going to buy all these new clothes’. But I think if it was just pulled back, customers would be fine with that.

When you moved to Ireland, did you find that Dublin was more of an accepting environment than Alice Springs?

I don’t think I did get much inspiration from Alice Springs. I 100% had influences from the Dublin scene. Once I got into a clique that I liked, the creative people who were usually involved in, like, vintage stuff, art, NCAD, music people, once I got to know them my style really developed. Dublin was like my College, it was where I found myself. I grew up in a small town for 20 years and as much as I do love it, anyone from a small town will know it’s hard to really be yourself there.

I think many would consider you to be somebody that oozes confidence. How did you develop that?

I wasn’t confident for most of my life up until I was about 25; I was always annoyed that I was a bit curvier, and hated that I had hips and a tummy of some sort. I thought you had to cover up your body.

Something clicked in me one day when I saw this tight dress. I really liked it but thought I obviously couldn’t wear it, but then thought, ‘f*ck that, I’m actually just going to try it on’, and I looked at myself and thought I actually looked good.

It’s all these little things, when you’re like, ‘oh, my arms look too big’ or ‘there’s a bit of cellulite on my thigh’, it’s sh*t that no one notices or cares about. Every single person, no matter what body shape they are, has their idiosyncrasies. It’s crazy when your friend makes a comment about their body and you’re like, ‘are you insane?’But then you can’t put that sh*t on yourself. It’s so funny because as women, we always beat ourselves up and we have hormones to deal with every month so we become, like, three different people.

You mentioned that Dublin was like your college. What advice would you give to someone, maybe just starting college looking to be more confident with their style?

Obviously right now it’s hard to be around people in college. One of my favourite things is when you find someone with style you like on Instagram and then clicking the arrow down button to see similar accounts. Surround yourself online with people who inspire you, you like their style and their vibe. Every time you see an outfit that you like, save the outfit. Even Tik Tok honestly, when you get into the thrifting hauls, they’re actually amazing for inspiration.

I don’t want to encourage people to buy new stuff all the time, but if you’re in a space where you’re finding yourself and trying to figure out what style you want to have, go and find key pieces that you really want. Really try and figure out the style you want to have and go to buy those things. Start fresh, have a blank slate. Don’t think, ‘I couldn’t wear that though, she’s got this confidence’. She probably doesn’t. She probably feels the exact same way you do.

I personally find when I put an amazing outfit on and I walk out of the house, I just feel so good, it gives me so much confidence. I hate that people think fashion can be so frivolous and it doesn’t mean anything. It’s the first thing you see when you meet someone and it’s a way of figuring out who that person is without even talking to them. It’s a way of expressing who you are.

Which vintage/charity shops would you recommend for students?

I would say, Dublin Vintage Factory Kilo Store, they’ve just opened a new one in Temple Bar and it’s 20 euro for a kilo. The Nine Crows Thrift Shop, off Pembroke Row, there are 5, 10 or 20 euro stickers.

For charity shopping, Rathmines is the best. NCBI and St Vincents, and they’re cheaper than in town.

Age Action on Camden Street is my favourite place, it’s so cheap. George’s Street is fantastic.

Greystones also have great designer stuff.

You have many strings to your bow as a creative. Would you have tips for breaking into a creative industry?

Don’t be afraid to get down on your knees and really get to work. It’s a funny one because I worked for free for a long time before I started doing what I really wanted. That’s a great way to learn.

Normally I would go to gigs all the time and meet new people from the scene. That’s how I got to know so many musicians. In something like radio or TV, find out who works there - I mean the decision makers.

Send in demos, ask if you can meet up for coffee or a Zoom and chat to them, pick their brain.

Going down that route is really long, it’s not easy and I feel like especially these days it’s hard to get jobs. Have a bit more patience. Put yourself out there. Get to know people online.. When I started out Facebook was cool. It was a great way to get to know people; networking online is such an easy and great tool. It wasn’t around a long time ago, so take advantage of it. Don’t be disheartened if you get no’s, I got so many non-replies but eventually someone decided to take a shot for me.

You can tune into Tara at 20:00, Sunday to Thursday on RTE 2FM, and follow her on

Instagram, Twitter and TikTok @tarastewartdj