On Heritage, Design and the Talia Byre Woman
The story of Talia Byre is as much about honouring the past as it is about writing one’s future. Born Talia Lipkin-Connor, the young designer, recently shortlisted for the 2025 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, chose to adopt the name Byre—a tribute to her great-uncle Ralph’s boutique, Lucinda Byre, which thrived in Liverpool from the 1960s to the 1980s.
This boutique was not just a store; it was a community hub—a place where women gathered, connected and expressed themselves through the clothing they wore. Now, the spirit of Lucinda Byre lives on in Talia’s work, where the past informs the present, and garments are crafted with the intention of becoming future heirlooms. Amidst the new and the now, Talia Byre is a reminder that the past is never truly gone—it is merely waiting to be reborn, reimagined and worn once more.
MARIA MUKARANDA. As the founder and creative director of Talia Byre, what is it you handle on a day-to-day basis? How was it navigating the major leap from studying and interning to directing your own label?
TALIA BYRE. Day-to-day in the studio, it’s me and my creative team. But with calls, for example, it’s my sister on the phone five times a day. The rest of my family—my cousins—come in and help with shows. Even when they were at school, they’d come in to help with steaming. They’re not in the studio—they’re not making—but they very much have a say in things and are always present at events. That’s something that’s really important to me, especially when we do shows. I really like the feeling of it being a mix of friends, family and press—not just fashion press. We don’t actually do a lot of set design because we like to work with spaces that are already there, that have a set within, because then it’s got a bit more feeling. That’s what’s most important: it’s about really showing who the [Talia Byre] woman is. It’s aspirational in a sense, but it’s also quite real. The most important thing for me is that everything feels like it’s got soul, and that it makes sense for who the customer is. Because, I guess, the point in us doing shows—especially when you’re small—is that you’re trying to portray the woman, where she goes, what her life is like. For example, with Tenderbooks, it was very obvious that the woman would go and shop there. Even with Sweetings, it was the same—the woman is very interested in food and dining. Then you’ve got Lant Street Wine, which also made total sense. So it’s always got to make sense as to where the woman’s going to be. From the beginning—especially if you’re starting something new—it’s about really portraying and explaining the world you’re trying to build. My assistant Ellie plays a big role; she’s younger than me, but she’s very much [the Talia Byre woman]. Then there’s me—I’m a little bit older and have a slightly different life. My sister as well—she works in the city, which I find really fascinating. I’d say [the Talia Byre woman is] a mix of everything. We spend a lot of time working out who exactly the woman is and defining her—and it’s slightly different each season.
M.M. How did you navigate starting Talia Byre straight after graduating, and straight into the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown?
T.B. It’s fascinating—most of the class I did my MA with have our own brands. I think that’s probably because when we graduated, the first day of lockdown was our last day of university. So it gave everyone a lot of time to think about what they wanted to do. I’d definitely say that I spent the first lockdown figuring out what I was going to do. I always knew I was going to have a brand, but I thought I’d probably go back into the industry and work for a bit first. And then my grandmother unfortunately passed away, and it was like, “This is happening now.” I moved back to my parents for lockdown and I just started designing at the kitchen table, literally starting from there—in my childhood bedroom, with all the random things I had. So I started with that. When I went back to London, I did everything from my flat. I had rails, buckets of dye and an industrial sewing machine in my sister’s flat. By the third lockdown, we must have got a studio, but it was just me for a long time. Yeah, it just evolved like that, I guess. It was tough, but looking back, I’m really grateful I had the time, because in normal life, you just don’t. It’s such a rat race.
M.M. How did you find the experience of studying yourself when you were a student, as opposed to now teaching it and being on the flip side?
T.B. I teach at London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins. I loved the experience [of being a student], but I was one of those kids that, even when I was at school, was doing my own thing in the art room all the time. I did three art A-levels and they just let me do my own thing. By the time I got to CSM, I just liked cracking on. When I was on Foundation, I made friends with a lot of fine artists I was living with, and I’m still in touch with them now. It’s nice seeing how everyone is progressing. BA was probably the toughest shock, because when you walk in, it’s intense compared to what you’re used to. But I think you slowly learn over time to be a little less critical about certain things. I can really see it now in some of my students in their final fittings—they’re such perfectionists. I’ve almost had to train myself not to be that. I’m still a bit of a perfectionist, of course, but I try to look at the bigger picture. Prior to my MA, I’d been working in the industry at Paul Smith and McQueen for a couple of years. It felt very special to be doing my own thing again.
M.M. How similar (or different) were your experiences working in those two different environments?
T.B. Just very different. I started as an intern during my placement year at Paul Smith. It was a small team—only five members—and they were doing womenswear shows at the time. I was thrown right in, but they really respected me, and I respected them. For me, that’s key: you have to respect your team members. I was willing to do a lot and put my all into it. I eventually became an assistant, stayed in touch, and I’m still connected with my old bosses, which is nice. The experience was more commercial; I learned about what would sell. You’re still being creative, but you’re thinking about the woman who will wear the clothing. I learned a lot about colour, fabric, tailoring, working with suppliers and how to communicate with people. That experience was invaluable because I was deeply involved in communication with suppliers and fabrics. In contrast, McQueen was at the other end of the spectrum—it was more creative, focused on draping, with an atelier, and maybe a bit more traditional in that sense.
M.M. Both brands have such strong identities and rich histories. Do you still carry much of what you learned there in your practices today?
T.B. Yes, definitely. You can see the influence of colour, tailoring and fabric knowledge that I gained from Paul Smith. I also discovered that I’m not a flat pattern cutter. I don’t start like that—it’s all very much on the body. We’ve worked with the same fit model since my MA and we’re always doing fittings or draping for me to understand how the clothes we make will fit on the body.
M.M. Many of those practices are still evident in Talia Byre. Would you say the same of your experience during your MA, too?
T.B. I think so, because during the MA, you’re put in situations where you must stand behind and believe in what you’re doing. If someone critiques your work and you’re unsure, it’s not going to go down well. That’s a valuable life lesson. During my MA, everything was draped—no patterns, just working on the mannequin. I knew it was my last chance to work like that before entering the industry, where you have to figure out how to produce and execute your ideas. Colour and draping have always been the biggest things for me. I was fortunate to gain show experience at both Paul Smith and McQueen. At McQueen, the whole team went to Paris—it was a grand affair. We even work with the same producers now—Gainsborough and Whiting handle our production.
M.M. Were you always set on this path from a young age, or did your passion develop over time?
T.B. I was probably always going to do something like this, though not necessarily start my own brand. That only happened after my grandma passed away. Everyone always knew I’d do something creative, so it wasn’t really a surprise to anyone—especially given my family’s history and the community we’re part of. My grandma’s side of the family is where the connection lies. Her father’s side were tailors in Liverpool and they did work for the Navy and some famous people—even The Beatles. On her mother’s side was Lucinda Byre. So, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone.
M.M. It’s wonderful and fitting that your family is so involved with the brand. Were those early memories and experiences with family your initial forays into fashion?
T.B. It was my grandma and all her friends who were part of Lucinda Byre, and they were around when I was growing up. My great-uncle, who founded Lucinda Byre, passed away just before I was born. Yeah, I’d say they—my grandma and all her friends—were a huge influence on me. I grew up surrounded by very glamorous, clever women. They might not have been working in the traditional sense, but they were intellectual, great at conversation, and always present at family dinners. They’d give me and my sister old magazines, clothes, and hand-me-downs. It wasn’t expensive stuff, but they were great finds. That was definitely a big influence. One of their husbands owned a showroom in Manchester, and I used to sit there and read copies of Drapers that he’d give me. It was all around me, but it never felt forced.
M.M. With regards to your personal style, did you have it figured out at a young age, or did that come much later?
T.B. It came much later, and it’s still evolving. My style is constantly changing. For instance, the starting point for a season might come from something I or my assistants are currently obsessed with—like when Ellie, one of my assistants, was obsessed with polka dots, it inspired us to incorporate them into a collection. I’m the same way; I can get obsessed with one garment or style and wear it all the time. That’s often what we base a season on, mixed with other elements like research and storytelling. As a kid, I wasn’t extravagant, but I’d get very attached to particular garments and wear them repeatedly.
M.M. Are your plans for a physical store imminent, or is that something for the more distant future?
T.B. I’d love to open a store. I’m always discussing the best locations in London with people, but I’d also love to do something in Liverpool at some point to celebrate the city. I’m not sure what yet, but yes, I’d love to have a small store. In London, the next step might be a studio/store combo.
M.M. Outside of work and the brand, what do you do in your spare time? Are there overlaps with your work?
T.B. What do I do in my spare time? Do I have spare time? To be honest, mostly I hang out with Ellie, one of my assistants, or my sister. They both have keys to my place, so they come over often. I’m a bit of a yoga head. Usually, I’m on my phone, dealing with things, or trying to do two jobs at the same time—like teaching and doing the brand. It’s full on, but I wouldn’t change it.