Self-taught designer and owner of her brand, Emerald and Wax Designs, Virtue Shine is a powerhouse woman settled in Barna, County Galway. Inspired by her Ghanian upbringing and love for Japanese architecture, Virtue creates unique and vibrant designs, which she describes as “wearable art”. Chatting to Virtue, I learned about the inspirations behind her brand, as well as the struggles that still face women in Ireland’s business field.
Starting from humble beginnings, Virtue first “planted the seed” of her brand when she bought her first sewing machine in New York over a decade ago. This purchase brought the “unspoken idea” of a lifelong career in fashion to life. Virtue perceives her designs as “art”, that is “made real through fashion”. She tells me that her work is largely inspired by her own life experiences. Born in Accra, Ghana, a lot of her childhood was spent “surrounded by African prints” in her grandmother’s warehouse and in the markets of Accra. Captivated by the “power wrought” by the vibrant and rich colours, Virtue’s observation of these traditional fabrics infused an intense interest in fashion into her. To this day, Virtue shares that the bold hues woven into these fabrics seem to “shout confidence”.
Moving to New York as a teenager, Virtue was “immediately enraptured” by the city’s street fashion. She loved that fashion had “no set boundaries” in New York; it was fearless. Virtue also fell in love with the Japanese fashion and culture that is prominent in New York. Taking inspiration from Japanese architecture, Virtue’s designs include kimonos and their different variations.
From Ghana to Galway
Moving from New York to Galway was tough for Virtue. She dearly missed the family support she had back in New York, especially since she had a young family to care for in a new, unfamiliar country. She tells me that the people of Galway were lovely, they were really welcoming. However, she did experience some hostility born out of, to put it plainly, “small-mindedness”. These negative experiences tend to “stay with you”, she shares, “they’re hard to shake”. She describes the unpleasant attitudes she has encountered as a “cultural slap in the face”. Indeed, growing up in the diverse environment of New York, Virtue never felt out of place. She felt a “sea of change” when she initially moved to Ireland, which was a difficult experience for her.
Luckily, Virtue had her “own little tribe of close friends” to help her settle in, though. They are “blow-ins” like herself, helping her feel at home. Virtue has now become intertwined in the local community of crafters in Galway, which has been “really great”, as she feels she has a special place within the Irish community. Now, she feels right at home in Galway, having fully embraced the Wild Atlantic Way, with “both its foibles and sheer magic”. “ What can I say”, she adds with a laugh, “I’m a Galway girl now”.
Challenges along the way
Starting her brand was a “big struggle”, Virtue tells me honestly. Fashion is a cut-throat field. With the added pressure of crafting designs by hand, starting Emerald and Wax Designers was no small feat. Virtue says that creating her brand from scratch was a “labour of love, and boy is there a lot of labour!”. Her unwavering love for fashion fuels her endeavours, though. She thrives in her creation of brand that “stands out from the crowd”.
Marvelling at her prowess, I asked Virtue about her experience of being a woman of colour in business in Ireland. “It’s hard being a woman in business full stop,” she answers. She believes that “more needs to be done for women in business in general”. There is a huge need for more support, including both “mentoring and financial” backing. Support that “just ticks boxes” is not enough. Virtue emphasises that in Ireland’s society, a great deal more can be done to promote “inclusiveness” in “all aspects”, including business. There definitely needs to be “a lot more done for women, including crafters”.
Virtue has been running her shop alongside her business partner, Ro, for six years. The pair have a “pretty good relationship”, “we understand each other”, Virtue tells me. Together, the duo has “learned a lot about running a business”, and even more about each other. Working alongside another woman in a distinctly male-dominated field, Virtue claims that she enjoys running her shop, despite the challenges facing her.
A word of advice
I asked Virtue if she has any advice for women starting their journey in the field of business. The first thing she would tell them is: “go for it”. She also recommends getting advice or tips from those who are doing something similar. When Virtue and Ro first started their shop, they reached out to similar stores, mainly in Galway, all of which were “forthcoming, helpful, and most importantly, encouraging”.
Women like Virtue are still in the minority in Ireland. Only 5.2 per cent of women in the country are established entrepreneurs, as opposed to 11.8 per cent of men. This means that men are 2.3 times more likely than women to be established owners of their own business.
Virtue encourages women commencing their entrepreneurship to be persistent in their efforts, even if they face adversity or hardship. Building a strong support network is vital, making such a field a lot less daunting. Do not be afraid to turn to other women in business for support, they are more than likely to be willing to offer a friendly word of advice. All you need to do is ask.
