THE work of renowned artist and designer Sara O’Neill has been featured in countless glossy magazines, on red carpets, major billboard and television campaigns, book and album covers and exhibited worldwide over the past 20 years.
Born and raised in Portrush on the north coast, she returned to the town after 15 years in Belfast, where she studied fashion and textile design at the University of Ulster and built up a stellar reputation in the Irish fashion, advertising and art industries, working as a stylist and an illustrator.
During those years she was heavily involved in the Belfast punk scene, and much of the ethos of the scene has stayed with her and influences her work and business to this day.
Returning home in 2014 brought back many of the stories her granny told her as a child, and combined with a changing society, and a new appreciation for the landscape she grew up in, she realised how important these stories are to the identity of all who call this island home… the link between us, our history and the land.
It was then she launched Éadach, meaning 'fabric' in Irish.
Éadach is a range of limited edition prints, inspired by her grandmother’s stories and her native north coast.
Éadach features Sara’s hand drawn pencil illustrations inspired by Ireland’s darker myths and legends and history and heritage of strong women, printed on silk and Irish linen and handpainted onto leather to create richly coloured contemporary prints, crafted into simple but dramatic timeless garments.
Speaking about her career, Sara explained: "Growing up, the idea of being a fashion designer was outrageous.
"My parents actually wanted me to become a journalist or a teacher but told me if I worked hard I could do whatever I wanted.
"I went to university and studied fashion. It was during that time that I met a photographer who asked me to style a photoshoot for him.
"It was published in a magazine and was a bit outrageous but it got my work out there. It led me to a lot of work with other photographers, agencies and other magazines.
"I then created my own brand called Éadach. My business took off and within a year Brown Thomas contacted me and my products have been stocked there for ten years.
"My products are very much theme based and tell a story. All my prints are inspired by Irish myth and legend and especially female social history. Just before Christmas, I opened a shop in the Merchant Hotel. It has been going really well.
"I am really fortunate to have turned a passion into a business. I absolutely love my work. My advice to anyone is to just go for it."
Another aspect of Sara's work that she is particularly proud of is her partnerships with Women’s Aid NI and The Oh Yeah Centre.
In recent years through her work she has raised nearly £60,000 between both charities.
"If you’re inspired by somewhere, if you’re using the stories of a place it’s important to give back, to contribute to someone else’s story," she added.
Sara O’Neill will be the guest speaker at the West Belfast Small Biz Roundtable on January 30. Tickets are available here.
