Liv’s Vintage Studio - Community’s Latest Fashion

Written by Sophie Marx

Climbing up the stairs of 3 Cross Street, the wall paint along the staircase chipped and stained by time, hesitancy stretches through the gut as one’s feet reach the top, unsure of what to expect.

Yet, as soon as we step through the golden doors, we find ourselves in a living room-inspired studio. Paving your way through coats (and, in this case, many other vintage clothes), it is as if you had just entered the magical closet leading to Narnia.

Filled with wonder and possibility, once you enter, you never want to leave—that, at least, is how Liv, founder of Liv’s Vintage Studio, describes the creative space she founded in Galway in 2024.

The concept of the vintage studio is founded on the pillars of pre-loved clothes, community, and creating a space for creative people.

“Old clothes have a history, so allowing them to be borrowed and used by people, as well as this space, creates a creative energy that we all contribute to.”

“Community was something this world has always needed, but nowadays, where is our community? We all need this community.”

When Liv reached the phase of her life she described as her “post-mothering” stage, she, like many mothers whose children are entering adulthood, sought to reconnect with her identity outside of parenthood.

From her early childhood onwards, running androgynously dressed through the fields of West Ireland, she was passionate about fashion and worked as a manager for Brown Thomas and a stylist for Max Mara.

“I was looking to pursue a journey different from motherhood, so I was thinking, let’s go back to the dream I had as a teenager. I always wanted to work in fashion, be a designer, and I love the studio being this start-up point for other people’s creativity as well.”

With the creative freedom and opportunity to pursue one’s own creative projects Liv offers in her space, she is creating a place for young people to come to and figure out what might be next for them.

“I am holding a space for younger people. I believe in young people to be able to thrive when trust is put in them and their abilities.”

“The studio helps young people step into their confidence. There have been many people that come up to the studio really shy, and they walked out different people—more confident in themselves.”

Aside from clothes being a form of self-expression that makes us feel more at home in our bodies, one of the practical vessels implemented to enable Galway creatives to step into their own creative energy is the Junior Stylist Program.

With the limited jobs in Ireland’s fashion industry, Liv is offering her own knowledge and experience to provide people wanting to pursue a career in styling the opportunity to do so.

“Essentially, it’s like an internship program where you might do personal shopping, style photoshoots, or sell what we have on the studio rails through your style and your outfits. If you want to be a stylist, you already are one in my eyes.”

The current fostering of community and initial concept of lending and selling pre-loved clothes aims to set the foundation for Liv’s long-term vision for her studio.

“While the community is active, it’s my vision to get back to developing the adaptable clothing line of bell bottoms I have been working on.”

“The idea of the bell bottoms is everybody, every mind. They are neurodivergent-friendly and also wheelchair-user-friendly and have our logo embroidered in braille. That way, everyone can learn that little bit of braille.”

The imperative aspect of community is the creative process of integrating individuals into a working whole. Drawing on experiences of her AuDHD diagnosis later in life, Liv has created the space with diversity, equality, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in mind.

“I am creating a DEIB space, and I am making the bell bottoms specifically like this so that [people with disabilities] know that they were specifically thought about.”

In today’s often individualistically oriented social climate, it is not only vital to re-learn collective thinking, but according to Liv, it is important that older generations lead by example.

“I am a collective thinker, but I think it is hard to be a collective thinker in this world right now. The commitment to community is something we are afraid of.”

“But it can’t be up to the kids alone to save everything. We, as adults, have to start doing something positive because we are the role models.”

Whatever path we are on, on our own, in communities we come together, be it as a mother, sister, brother, son, daughter, friend, or someone that has become unknown to ourselves—we all need the healing forces that can only be created through multitude.

In the vintage studio, it does not matter whether we are students, whether university was not for us, whether we are stuck in a 9–5 we love or hate, or have no idea how to accomplish our dreams—creativity and kindness are enough to be a part of it.

From being a mother of one, Liv is offering a mothering touch to all of us: “If you’re a person trying to do something and you think the studio is going to help you to do something, then come chat to me, and we will work something out.”

Creative Direction: Olivia Lavelle

Styling Junior: Alex McCormac

Make-up: Miley Twardosz-Klimek

Photography: Nilton dos Anjos

BTS Photography: Caoimhe Hughes