Money Talks: Helen Steele - 'In 2014, when my investors pulled out, I was broke... ?I had also started going down the route of separation, so I was extremely broke'

"Unfortunately, Ireland is not a great place to be a sole trader, and it's not a good place to be a fashion designer,"

"I produce my main line here in Ireland. It's made from eco-fabrics in the Netherlands. What I do with Dunnes is a mix."

"[A decade ago] I was trying to keep everything small and here in the country, but trying to get funding, even trying to get an overdraft... impossible, unless you are tech, agri-biz, agriculture, the reality as a creative person in Ireland is that you can f**k off. Seriously."

"Or you can spend - and I have ADHD, so trying to get grants and fill out funding forms and stuff like that, that literally takes me about a week... the amount of paperwork to get like, maybe half a nail is just prohibitive, and you're taxed to the hilt as well."

Steele produces her main fashion line in Ireland using eco-fabrics sourced from the Netherlands and runs mixed collaborations with retailers. Funding and bank support in Ireland favour tech and agriculture, leaving creative sole traders with limited access to overdrafts and grants. Administrative requirements and lengthy application processes are especially burdensome for someone with ADHD, and taxation further constrains viability. Steele pursued art through odd jobs and gallery work across London, Berlin, and Miami, experienced gallery success during the boom, then saw many galleries collapse rapidly, leaving only a few survivors.

Read at Irish Independent