International Women's Day | Owner of Longford's Fabiani talks up International Women's Day #IWD2022 #BreakTheBias

The architect behind renowned womenswear outlet, Fabiani, the proud Longford native is arguably one of the county's leading flagbearers when it comes to female entrepreneurship.

Fresh from seeing her business creation being crowned National Store of the Year only last November, Louise is already plotting the store's next prize-winning chapter.

“That was the pinnacle point for us in 2021,” said Louise.

“After working tirelessly, it was great to have national recognition and be included alongside names such as Brown Thomas and Arnotts. Fending off these multinational corporations for the title was a momentous achievement.”

Buoyed by that success alongside the added bonus of securing a wealth of new customers both online and in terms of everyday footfall, Louise said there was much to look forward to after almost two years of Covid enforced restrictions.

“I feel that there is a new energy and people are reinvigorated and ready to enjoy living life to its fullest again,” she said, as she alluded to how her own successes have come from an overriding common denominator-hard work.

“In terms of business, I always try to stay ahead of the curve - I am constantly thinking of new ideas, and taking inspiration from some of the best boutiques all around the world. I am proud to bring something different to my hometown.

“Of course, it helps that I really do adore my job and have a wonderful team - it's a collective effort and everyone has a great passion for their role.”

She added International Women's Day was an occasion she would be spending with her daughter Nina and mother Teresa.

“International Women's Day for me is more than just marking women's place in society and our achievements - it's about encouraging, empowering, and motivating further changes that will influence how women are seen and treated by society. It's about reflection on how far we have come, and how much more there is to do,” she said.

How will you mark International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8?

I will mark International Women's Day by taking some time out to reflect and celebrate the women in my own life, from my daughter Nina, to my mother Teresa, I will take Tuesday to spend quality time with them.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

International Women's Day for me is more than just marking women's place in society and our achievements - it's about encouraging, empowering, and motivating further changes that will influence how women are seen and treated by society. It's about reflection on how far we have come, and how much more there is to do!

#BreakTheBias is the theme for International Women’s Day - applying the theme to your own life and career, what might it mean to you and what is your view or interpretation on the theme?

When I started out as a young woman in business, I really felt the strain of gender stereotyping in the industry. Business is a field that is heavily dominated by men, and in the early days this is something that I was definitely aware of. Over the last number of years I have felt that this bias has shifted - more and more we are hearing of great female business leaders, achieving brilliant things in both their home and work lives - truly breaking the bias on what it means to be a woman!

According to the World Economic Forum, gender parity will not be attained for almost a century. Do you agree? Could it be attained sooner? Have you ever suffered at the hands of or know of a family member or friend that has suffered due gender bias? 

I do think that gender equality could be achieved sooner. It's important to educate the next generation, and inspire young girls to believe that they can achieve whatever they want to do. I do believe that gender bias is partly a generational matter, and if we work hard enough we could see gender bias eradicated by the close of this century.

It's sad to say, but I think that every woman has suffered some gender bias throughout their lives - no matter how major or minor. It's rare that a woman I know would not have a direct experience with gender inequality.

The murder of young teacher Ashling Murphy, the subsequent outpouring of grief, solidarity, vigils held worldwide and anger and it firmly put a spotlight on attitudes towards and violence against women. Have you witnessed change? What needs to change? 

The murder of Ashling Murphy was a sensless tragedy, and an example of how women suffer due to gender inequality even today. I think what I have seen - rather than witnessing change - has been the conversation around women's rights being brought to the forefront again. The murder of Ashling Murphy brought the question of gender, and women's place in society into every Irish household - I think the awareness around women's rights was heightened, this awareness and change in people's mindsets is key to making a real difference in how women are treated by society. 

With Covid-19 pandemic restrictions lifting, what have we learned over the past two years and what are your hopes for the future? 

I have learned an awful lot over the past two years, both in business and in my personal life. I have learned not to take things for granted - as we all saw with the pandemic, things can literally change overnight! It's important to keep yourself grounded and to focus on the important things in life. As the restrictions lift, I'm hopeful that life will return to some normality and that we will get back to the activities and occasions that we all missed so much over the past 2 years!

What is your assessment of the ongoing and heightening situation in Ukraine? 

The situation in Ukraine is incredibly worrying - each day I watch the news with horror as I see what is happening to the Ukrainian people. It appears that President Putin will stop at nothing to regain his Soviet empire - I believe that the EU and UN have to be firm with their sanctions and hope that the war can end without a catastrophic loss of life. It's important to support the Ukrainian people in any way we can.

Two ladies that have inspired you in your own life and explain why ?

My mother is one of the greatest inspirations to me. I grew up as the only girl in the house, and I feel I definitely got my sense of style and passion for the industry from her! My mother has always been my closest confidante and still offers brilliant advice whenever I need it. I am also inspired by the incredible Dr. Laura Noonan - I have known Laura since we were children, and I have always admired her determination and her courage in the face of her illness. Having achieved so much in her life so far, I feel she is a woman we can all take inspiration from.

Having been front and centre of one of the midlands' leading fashion boutiques, how do you motivate yourself each and every day to ensure your business stays one step ahead of your nearest competitors?

Finding motivation was sometimes a hard task on the darker days of the pandemic, but with restrictions behind us I feel that there is a new energy and people are reinvigorated and ready to enjoy living life to its fullest again! In terms of business, I always try to stay ahead of the curve - I am constantly thinking of new ideas, and taking inspiration from some of the best boutiques all around the world. I am proud to bring something different to my hometown. Of course, it helps that I really do adore my job and have a wonderful team - it's a collective effort and everyone has a great passion for their role.

You recently undertook a large scale extension of Fabiani in Longford town. What prompted that decision and what has the feedback from customers been like?

The inspiration for the expansion came in the depths of lockdown - we noticed that we had a new client coming to us - when the work from home mandate was put in place, many people returned home to Longford and began working remotely. We saw a huge influx of professional people who wanted to purchase a luxury product but didn't want to travel to Dublin for it, and so, the expansion idea was born. The response from customers has been phenomenal - we have always had brilliant, loyal clients - but the expansion also gained us a new audience - in fact, many of our customers are now travelling from areas such as Galway, Kildare, Kerry, Cork and Dublin. It has been a brilliant success.

The cost of living is continuing to rise, how difficult is that for a niche business like Fabiani to ensure those challenges are overcome and that footfall is maintained?

Fabiani has been open since 2010, and has navigated turbulent economic situations in the past. The increase in the cost of living has affected everybody, us included. We have always maintained, however, that service, experience and quality trump price. We haven't diluted our product offering, but we have tailored it to provide our customers with pieces that will give them the greatest value in terms of cost per wear - investment pieces are key and we have shifted our focus to a more sustainable offering.

Fabiani, last November, added another trophy to its collection cabinet courtesy of it being named National Store of the Year 2021. How important was that both to you as a female entrepreneur and the business as a whole?

Winning the Retail Excellence award was a pinnacle point for us in 2021. After working tirelessly, it was great to have national recognition and be included alongside names such as Brown Thomas and Arnotts. Fending off these multinational corporations for the title was a momentous achievement. We have welcomed many new clients both online and in store, as a result of our winning. Personally, I am proud of the team and look forward to planning Fabiani's next big venture.

Retail has endured a torrid past two years in the midst of a global pandemic. What words of advice would you give to female businesswomen of tomorrow who may be looking to follow in your footsteps by opening a fashion store or retail business?

I would say to any female businesswoman looking to get into the industry, that it is hard work, but if you put in the time, it can be incredibly rewarding. Always have customer experience at the forefront of your mind - building up a loyal customer base is key. Believe in what you want to achieve and go all in. 

Check out our other IWD interviews with inspirational Longford women at the link below:

International Women's Day | Celebrating some of Longford's amazing women #IWD2022 #BreakTheBias