The Laois fashion designer who made her designs more sustainable

Laois fashion designer Heidi Higgins has a successfully timeless high end fashion label, and is now sharing her skills with local third level students.

The Portlaoise woman tells how it all began.

“I studied fashion design in the National College of Art and Design and when I finished college I worked with Louise Kennedy.

“In 2009 I launched my fashion label and in 2010 I opened my own flagship boutique in Portlaoise where I grew up. I sold my collection to Brown Thomas, Arnotts and a selection of high end fashion boutiques in Ireland and abroad.

“In 2019 I moved to live on my husband’s family farm in Tipperary. After growing my business and running my boutique for ten years I decided to close the store and concentrate on growing my online sales for my website heidihiggins.com, just before covid hit.

“Since then I have changed my business model to be more sustainable, producing my full collection in my own studio here in Ireland or working with small Irish manufacturers such as We Make Good (a social enterprise based in Dublin and another small manufacturing unit in Wexford called Fashion Connect Ireland).

The Michaela dress by Heidi Higgins.

“I don’t work in line with fashion seasons anymore; rather I produce new timeless blouses, dresses and accessories throughout the year.

“However, I do study trends and make small references to them in my collections.”

Heidi has taken time out of her busy schedule and started teaching fashion design to future budding designers.

“In the past two years I have started teaching the fashion design QQI level 5 course with Laois and Offaly ETB (LOETB).

LOETB Portarlington Graduation and Awards Night in the Heritage Hote, Killenard: Fashion Teacher, Heidi Higgins (in pink) with her Fashion Class graduates. Photo: Michael Scully 

“I am the secretary and board member for the Council of Irish Fashion Designers (CIFD). I love to wear Irish and support my colleagues in the fashion industry.

“I won the Network Ireland Creative Professional Award (2023) with Network Ireland (Tipp branch). I have been involved in judging best dressed at the races - most recently with Rosanna Davison at the Listowel Races in September 2024.”

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In recent months Heidi has started teaching sewing retreats (weekend workshops) for anyone interested in learning to sew and more advanced courses for those who want to upskill and learn how to make their own clothes.

“I have some Summer workshops coming up in Old School House Living Ballingarry and I am also doing a Teen sewing camp in The Presentation Secondary School in Thurles from July 21 to July 25. I am very excited to pass on my sewing skills to the teens this Summer,” she said.