Jill and Gill style partners for Beckett Locke

Jill & Gill are an independent collaborative Irish business with an international outlook. Two designers creating fine art prints and wearable art for people who want to own limited editions.

Big on energy, strong on colour. Not for the faint hearted. You’ll find bold colours and prints that are made to move and to be a creative beacon in a sea of similarity. As the official style partners for Beckett Locke, we caught up with the duo behind Jill & Gill and to hear more on the landscape of Dublin and being a creative in the Irish capital.

What inspired you to start a Jill & Gill?

Jill & Gill started out as two creative individuals that admired each others work, we first collaborated on a project back in 2015 and things just grew so organically from there. Collaboration is about creating something new, stepping outside your comfort zone, finding confidence in your own abilities while pushing your boundaries. We both thrive on this feeling and use it as a driving force for other brands and businesses that we collaborate with.

How did you approach the collaboration with Locke?

Our new creative studio is based next-door to Zanzibar Locke in Dublin 1, so we were able to welcome the new Locke team into our space and get to know them. Essentially they have become our brand ambassadors. As the Locke brand grows in Dublin we feel its important to have a community aspect and are looking forward to creating some cool experiences for both our customers and Locke customers in the future.

Who is the Jill & Gill customer and how do you connect with them?

Our customers are stylish and contemporary in how they shop. The seek out colour and limited editions, they consider their purchases and are drawn to brands like Jill & Gill that they can trust. Our customers value Jill & Gill because we are open, creative and offer quality products.

How has being based in Dublin shaped your work?

Basing ourselves in the city has had a huge impact on our brands ethos, values and how we develop our work.

What's it like working in the creative industry in Dublin?

As an independent Irish business based in Dublin we very much have an international outlook. Dublin is an incredible place as it offers huge potential to network and grow at a city level yet at the same time it’s a village. We’re collaborators, instigators, motivators with a vision and we’re building that here in Dublin surrounded by a community of like minded people, paving the way for new creatives in our city and country is key to our brands growth and work.

Where do you go when you need a shot of inspiration?

Life is starting to return back to normal here in Dublin, museums are open, events are back and the creative flair within Dublin is starting to bubble. It’s hard not to be consistently inspired but when that creative block hits us we just walk away, not completely but we believe that if you can’t go forward, change the direction. Some of our best creations have come from a change of direction. Those are the times to go to a museum, walk through the botanical gardens or in some-cases try something new.

Finally, what advice would you offer young people stepping in the art world?

Embrace failure or even the possibility of failure. If you thrive for perfection within the realms of creativity you will never experience the beauty of the process, the process is the journey, the narrative. The story is key, not just the outcome.