Claire Garvey studied Fashion at the National College of Art and Design. Where she went on to win the Smirnoff young fashion designer of the year, 1991. She has won many awards since she graduated including Kilkenny Cream of Irish designer of the year. After NCAD she did a Master’s degree in Costume Design in Russia at the prestigious Vgik University Moscow.

When she returned to Ireland, she began manufacturing her own lines and she supplied many shops including Liberty of London, and many more around Ireland before she opened her own shop ‘Claire Garvey Couture’, Old City, Temple Bar in 2001. In 2018 she purchased the freehold for the shop unit which is a big achievement for any designer in Ireland. Grammy Icon Nile Rodgers and Chic cut the ribbon for the official opening. She continues to trade out of the shop. February 2021 marked her twentieth year in the shop. 

She has shown in New York Fashion Week and was one of six designers from across the world to win the competition to show in Paris organised by Madam Figaro magazine. She has had photoshoots with numerous online magazines over the last two decades, for example: Vogue online and German Elle.

She has designed for Nile Rodgers and Chic for The Oscars. As well as the X-FACTOR’s Bette Midler Party, and even accompanied them on their X-FACTOR performance.

Nile Rodgers was her first menswear customer. It inspired her to launch her own menswear in Dublin and TV celebrity Eoghan McDermott and musician JackL modeled for her. JackL continues to be one of her many customers.

Since Dancing with the Stars Ireland, started in 2016 she has designed the jackets for Judge Julian Benson. Which have been over forty jackets and outfits. She has known Julian since he modeled in The Smirnoff Young Designer Awards. She also designed costumes for his Irish Dance Show Celtic Rising in The Burlington in 2011.

She gained more worldwide attention when she designed The Miss Universe Ireland Costume, with pictures of the outfit in many newspapers and online editions. She appeared on the Late Late Show to present it and explain how she made it.

She has also designed for The Berlin Show Orchestra and was flown over to Germany to create their outfits for The Famab Awards with flying violinist sensation Angel Strings. She has created outfits for conductor Eimear Noone which she has worn on many stages around the world. She has also created the outfit for Eimear Noone when she appeared as the first female conductor of the Oscars ever, in February 2020, which was mentioned in the New Yorker magazine. She continue to create bespoke pieces for Eimear Noone.

Other customers of hers include Mary Coughlan, Katherine Lynch, Noel Cunningham, and various musicians, most recently for a motion animated picture for the lead singer of the theme song. She created costumes for a short film with Evanna Lynch, from Harry Potter Fame, directed by Deirdre Mulrooney, which was up for a Jim Sheridan short film award. She has also designed outfits for the American rapper Dali Voodoo for his music video. She also designed outfits for PINK’s support band Bang Bang Romeo at the Wembly arena, also Mark Schulman and PINK’s famous drummer.

She has shown at many fashion shows over the last two decades, many supporting charities. She has also done her own exclusive fashion shows. She has judged numerous times also for fashion show competitions. Her work has been shown in all the major publications in Ireland, many times.

She has also taught students about fashion design, using workshops to encourage students to develop their creative and technical skills to produce original works of fashion. She has taught at Colaiste Dhulaigh School of Design Dublin, and Limerick Institute of Technology, School of Art and Design.

Her ethos in fashion is sustainability. All her pieces are made in her shop in Cow’s Lane, Temple Bar and she is a firm advocate of slow fashion, using many recycled fabrics and trims.