Dolls

Here is an article I wrote a few months ago about a local boutique in Dublin called Dolls.

Set in a quaint corner off a busy Dublin street, it’s easy to get distracted by the smell of fresh coffee from the cafe next door, the pitter patter of small puppy feet or the designer gorgeousness all over.

This adorable haven is of course; Dolls, the designer boutique that will make your heart flutter and your belly rumble. Located on Emorville Avenue next door to her sister’s cafe, Petria Lenehen has created a perfect get-away from the Dublin City while still being, in some cases literally, on your door step.

After studying fashion design in both London and Paris, Petria set up the first ‘Dolls’ on Caldron street seven years ago, and last year decided to consolidate the two. A mixture of hand-picked designer pieces as well as her own collection, Petria describes the ‘dolls’ style as, “more about the fabrics and the cut, a little bit unusual without being too crazy. It’s for women who love what they’re wearing and aren't out to impress people.”

Petria insists it’s not all fabulous when setting up your own business though, “I just knew it was what I wanted to do, and when I was younger I was less aware of the knocks you can have and the difficulties you can go through, and sometimes that’s a good thing. I've had to learn through experience and if I was advising somebody else who was starting out I’d advise them to get as much information and experience as they could. I've had some difficult times, and I have made mistakes that I have had to deal with, you’re the only person who is responsible for your business, and that’s not always easy, so I've had to grow up a lot.”

“The worst thing about owning your own business is paying lots of VAT and sometimes you feel like you’re up-against-it, we get no support from the council. You feel like you’re trying to do something different for the city as well as yourself.”

But where there is a will, and that’s something Petria defiantly has, she dedicates, “two days a week to designing, and two set mornings for pattern making, that’s the easy part, it’s getting the prototype right and the sizing and the cut and finding the fabrics, that’s the hard part,” she says.

When it comes to the designing process, Petira doesn't believe in following trends she explains, “I think you have a feeling if you work in fashion, trends come naturally, there are a lot of trend reports that people spend a lot of money on, and maybe that’s why a lot of designers come up with the same ideas, but I do think a lot just comes from the time, recession, film, wartime.”  “The best thing about owning your own business is being in control and making your own decisions and the satisfaction you get from it going well.”

Although the plan for the future is to have even more of her own designs in the store, Petria would never fully get rid of her other loves, “I will always have other designers too because I love the buying and meeting aspect, travelling to London and Paris, it’s very inspiring and interesting.” Among her favorite designers is, “Peter Yenson, his collection every season is inspired by a different woman, she could be famous or dead or anybody. His new Spring/Summer collection is inspired by Nina Simone, and it’s amazing!”

Photography by Angelique Silvian