This week, we're taking you behind the scenes of our design process at Due South Clothing. We want to share the journey of how our unique, hand-drawn designs come to life, from the initial spark of inspiration to the final product you wear.

For the longest time Paul was drawing designs and creating t-shirts and sweaters for friends and family for special occasions like Christmas and birthdays.  People loved their gifts, and it was so rewarding seeing the designs come to life on the clothing in a way you couldn’t ‘t see it happen on paper.

It was obvious Paul enjoyed his hobby much more than his actual job and one day I said, "You should bring these t-shirts to more people; you should start your own business.” So in 2015 we took our new designs we screen printed by hand in our living room to our first Dublin markets. By 2016, the positive response propelled us to launch our online store.

And over the last 9 years our design process has remained the same. Every design begins with inspiration. Inspiration comes from being in nature in Ireland and from your suggestions. Each design begins on paper and in notebooks before being transferred onto the iPad. However, the designs always remain hand-drawn, without the use of programs like Illustrator. This approach gives our designs a unique and authentic look, embracing imperfection to create something truly interesting and original.

The sketch is then adapted to see if it works as an idea as a design on a t-shirt because what works on paper may not work on fabric. And you may notice sometimes we sell out of popular designs and sizes and this is because each design is printed by hand so we make craft batches of each design. At times, we make limited edition designs like Errigal and Benbulben.

We are a family-owned Irish business committed to creating sustainable and ethically-made apparel. Our collection features hand-drawn, minimalist designs inspired by the stunning Irish landscape. Each piece is screen-printed in Dublin on 100% organic cotton or recycled organic cotton. We promote outdoor living, Irish pride, and long-lasting fashion. 

Our mission is to capture the essence of Ireland's natural beauty in our designs while maintaining our dedication to sustainability. We use eco-friendly inks and materials to ensure our products are as kind to the planet as they are stylish. Whether it's t-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, or socks, we prioritize quality and ethics in everything we create. 

We'd love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments what designs you’d love to see next. Your feedback is a crucial part of our creative process and helps us bring new, exciting ideas to life. Thank you for being part of the Due South Clothing journey.