Worn by everyone from Rihanna to Madonna, Dublin-based glove designer Paula Rowan shares how her creative vision became a reality
Glove designer Paula Rowan made her mission clear from the start: to have her name be synonymous with luxury leather gloves. The designer has been in business in Dublin’s Westbury Mall for 20 years and has had countless celebrities don her designs, such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Madonna… the list really does go on.
Rowan’s shown the importance of having a clear goal and more importantly, not stopping until you achieve it. “When someone I really admire wears my clothes, it’s still a pinch-me moment,” she says. “I still have that excitement. All of these moments are wonderful and mark turning points in my career. So yes, while it is very exciting, it’s important to stay grounded. There’s still work to be done in the background.
Designer Paula Rowan in her shop in Dublin’s Westbury Mall
“I think if you go into any creative business, whether it be an actor, sculptor, painter or designer, if you’re only going into it for money, you’re heading for disaster. You have to start from a place of passion and with that natural energy, the rest will follow. Also, you need a good product, which I had. I have a strong ethos behind my brand, I’m very true to what I set out to do from the beginning, I’ve stuck to that and I think in life when you stick with anything, it’s only going to go in one direction.”
Having had so much success in her field, I ask Rowan what are the first steps those looking to start a fashion business should take. “You need to write a business plan. If you have an idea you’re toying with, put it down on paper and see what it looks like. I actually didn’t have a business plan, but looking back now if I had more structure, maybe I’d be in a different place today.”
She may not have had a business plan, but she definitely knew what she was after. “I wanted the name Paula Rowan to be synonymous with luxury leather gloves. I wanted to have everything handmade in Italy at a high standard. I found the right factories and good people to work with, the right leather – but I wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to reach my end goal, because I didn’t have a business plan. To anyone starting off, have a clear vision of where you want to go.”
Once the business is off the ground, the grind doesn’t stop there, Rowan cautions. “A business is like a relationship, you go through ups and downs, those difficult stages where you have to work things out.
“Business isn’t plain sailing and it’s not for the faint-hearted. You have to commit. And, again, like a relationship, when things go pear-shaped, you make a decision to either continue with the relationship and work through those problems, or are you going to walk away? You can’t be afraid of the problems either, things go wrong, that’s how you learn. You just don’t want to repeat the same mistakes.”
See paularowan.com
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