Episode 2
· 31:00
Ever wonder what it's really like to thrive abroad and not just survive? Welcome to The Galway Gal, where stories, culture, and adventure collide. I'm Lauren, your host and your no BS guide to life, travel, and culture shock with a Galway twist. From unfiltered stories to offbeat adventures, we're diving into conversations that celebrate the charm, wit, and the heart of life in Ireland and beyond. Whether you're gearing up for your first big move or just daydreaming about life on the other side of the world, you've come to the right place.
Lauren:Let's rewrite the rules and redefine what home really means. In this episode, I sit down with fashion designer Virtu Schein, the creative force behind Emerald and Wax. Like me, she traded the fast pace of New York City for the charm of Galway and all in the name of love. But beyond romance, we dive into real challenges of starting over abroad from building a business to finding community in a new home. Let's tune in.
Lauren:From Ghana to Galway. Yeah. How did you get here?
Virtue:Everybody asks the question. Usually, I just say, give you two seconds to guess, and then they go, and then? And they usually write. Because I met my husband, who is Irish, I met him in New York. He was living and working in New York and we met in, believe it or not, an Irish bar Okay.
Virtue:On Thanksgiving Day, about twenty something years ago. And we have four boys. We had two in New York, and then we moved to Galway, and then we had two more here. So I came to Galway. You can say it for for love.
Virtue:For love. Yeah.
Lauren:Wow. A that's a great way to that's a great reason to come to Galway. Yeah.
Virtue:Plus, Galway is beautiful. So
Lauren:Well, let me see. From living in New York, what exactly were you doing in New York?
Virtue:I moved from Ghana to New York. I went to uni there. I actually studied nursing. I couldn't go through with it because I realized very quickly that I can't do, you know, blood, I'm too sensitive. So then I did a bit of I studied English and then I went to FIT and I studied fashion, a bit of fashion, not like you know designing or anything, was more merchandising, display and merchandising and I quickly realised that I actually, you know, I'm too fidgety, I can't, you know, I can't stay in one place so I decided to be an executive assistant in healthcare.
Virtue:I like the hustle and bustle, know, of that, know, it was always there was always something happening and then also I also did a, you know, a side thing where I would do private chefing and I also do personal style, and I also worked in showrooms. So I I really couldn't sit still. Would, you know, I would do Multiple everything. Yeah.
Lauren:It seemed like your passion and your love for fashion kind of was, like, in your DNA.
Virtue:You you may say
Lauren:that, literally. Yeah.
Virtue:Literally in my DNA, yes. So my grandmother was into fabric, into fabrics I should say, she was one of the very first few women who decided to import fabric. I think during her time a lot of the textiles were being printed in Ghana but the really really high quality one was coming from Netherlands. So she was one of the few women who had a warehouse and, you know, the market women, as I call them, will come and buy from her and bring it to, you know, to buy wholesale and bring it to the market and sell retail. And fast forward to my mom who actually used to import and export not just African fabrics but also high end lace, literally, fabrics and I've been in fabrics and fabrics and textiles been in my family for a very long time.
Virtue:That's Love you. Yeah.
Lauren:It's just great to see how it's kind of like followed through the bloodline. Yeah. And it's it evolved so much from, again, from Ghana
Virtue:to Galway. Yes. Yeah. Yeah but isn't on purpose, like I didn't actually, I've always loved the fabrics, I mean, you know, like I've never seen an African print that I don't like, that's very, very rare but I started collecting them, I didn't think that I'd be working with them because I didn't know how to sew, I'm self taught. I didn't really test that out till I was pregnant with Kelly and my first child you know in New York, pulled out a stash and literally put it on my kitchen table and I cut a wrap skirt and that's really where it started from.
Virtue:I never really expected to be working with fabrics, I just loved them and I started collecting them from a young age. And also, you know, in our culture, as a woman, you're expected to have lots in your wardrobe. So I was getting lots from my dad, you know, my grandmother, you know, from the eldest in family, my family is eldest.
Lauren:Now where does the Japanese element come into this?
Virtue:So a lot of people actually, I'm glad you asked that, a lot of people ask me that question and a lot of people don't know this but I'm happy to say that, you know there is a mutual adoration between Japanese and African cultures. There was actually few years back there was a huge exhibition of there was a Japanese designer who used only African prints to make traditional Japanese kimonos with the obi and everything and it was just beautiful and now as you know when I started this I had to do my research just to make sure that I wasn't stepping on any toes, I wasn't being disrespectful or anything but there are so many shops in Japan that only use African fabrics to make kimonos, to make skirts, to make homeware, to make you know, so I was very happy to see that. I suppose the egg butter Yeah. Is a form of a Japanese kimono. Oh, only thing is it's not it's not slit in the front.
Lauren:That's correct.
Virtue:Yeah. Because it's, you know, it's very roomy. It's very big. It's long. It has the sleeves and and everything.
Lauren:Think for those that don't know an aggwada, can
Virtue:you use the Okay, aggwada is literally, it's mostly worn by men and their boo boo by women. So aggwada is is really large piece of fabric that's sewn together as one piece and it's just great, it only has a neck and sleeves and I suppose the sides are sewn together as opposed to kimono where you know, it has the sleeves, it has the collar but it's open in the front, so
Lauren:And egg bara, they're usually wearing them for like very formal events, I think like weddings
Virtue:and Exactly.
Lauren:Yes, right, but kimonos could be worn. Would they also be worn for formal events?
Virtue:I suppose, like, with the women, now people are.
Lauren:Okay.
Virtue:Now, like, I was seen on, you know, happily seen on Pinterest and everywhere, women actually make three piece.
Lauren:Okay.
Virtue:So they make the kimono, they make the pans and then they make, I suppose, a top, just a simple top and it's all three piece kimono set. Wow. So yeah, so it's coming a long way and I suppose people are experimenting with Yeah.
Lauren:I would have never thought to see the fusion between the Japanese and African culture.
Virtue:Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I suppose I've also been, you know, living in New York, growing up in New York, I've always loved Japanese culture. I don't know what it is.
Virtue:I think I stumbled upon it by accident. Mhmm. But when I lived in Soho, a lot of my friends were Japanese. There was a a Japanese barber on Prince Street that I used to go and hang out there. Yeah.
Virtue:But I've also I've always loved just the simple designs, know, the mannerisms, the culture where everything is minimalistic, but there is an element of of something there, you
Lauren:know, and
Virtue:I suppose for me with my fabrics, I thought I'll design very, very simple and let the fabrics do the talking.
Lauren:Do the talking, that's true. Well, I'd say like now, obviously, Galway isn't the fashion capital. Trying. Trying. It's getting there.
Lauren:Yeah. How would you say you stay inspired?
Virtue:Well, that's really usually drop a lot now. I wouldn't lie. You know? Okay. I've given up in my head so many times but it's fine, every time I say this is it, I'm done, something small kind of comes in and says no, not yet.
Virtue:It's been tough, I wouldn't lie, know, when I first started, I started with just a wrap skirt and the tote bags and the scarves it was great to see people just embracing it. It was something new, something very different. Okay. And people hadn't seen it, people were interested in the pattern, I tried to make it seasonless and then from there I've evolved, I evolved to dresses, I evolved to the kimonos and introducing, you know, different types of textiles and and stuff to it. I suppose what keeps me going is stubbornness maybe?
Lauren:Passion.
Virtue:Yeah. That's true. Passion, yeah, stubbornness passion and also really the need to try to put African prints and textiles on a map here in in Ireland because, you know, it's it's all over the world, I suppose, and I feel like it deserves deserves its place here.
Lauren:What are some of, like, the biggest obstacles you've probably I mean, obviously, you're a self taught designer, but I'm sure there's been a lot of challenges along this road. Quite a bit smooth.
Virtue:Yeah. I mean, we don't have we don't have enough hours in the day for me to solve the challenges, I think just as a woman, it's tough, you know, and I find personally that people don't quite get what I do, you know. Yeah. People don't understand whether it's the prints or what, I don't know. It's also getting funding, you know.
Virtue:I fund myself. I've always funded myself. Yeah. Because, you know, you just can't get the funding because of x y and z. Yeah.
Virtue:And just, you know, I suppose trying to build on this business because I've been doing it for a while, know, but what keeps me inspired is the surroundings like the sea. Yeah. You know, they say there's 51 shades of green in Ireland, I don't know, or 41 shades, I don't know. It's the colours, it's the mixture of the sea versus the greens when I go for walks on the Bug Road, you know, all these colors like the gorse when it's in bloom, it's gorgeous. The lavenders, the brown grass, which actually was a the inspiration behind my tweed, an African print fusion.
Lauren:Well, seems like you've definitely been able to use some of these challenges, I can meet what people would probably assume to be challenges, as like a form of, I'd say, inspiration.
Virtue:Yeah. I I think, you know, I think that Arlen will hopefully it's it seems like it's getting there, and, you know, I would love to lay the map, so to say, for people or, you know, for the next generation
Lauren:Brave.
Virtue:And and and stuff like that. I also, you know, I've never been a quitter. I've you know, sometimes I wish that I could just quit and do something else, but I feel there is something in it. There is something there
Lauren:Right.
Virtue:And that's why I keep going to it. And now I have to say that there are people who have who are, you know, who love what I do. Yeah. And, you know, I've generally been supportive, like, every year they come in and they buy their new piece and they add on, you know, when I see my pieces on the streets of people, people of influence and I also want my children to I'm trying to teach them about resilience, to build something on of your own, following your passion, following your dreams despite you know all the hardships and all that. I don't know, it's very, I have a lovely relationship with you know, with it all, but at the end of the day, it's probably you know, I do for myself, I also do for my children and I do for the next generation.
Lauren:Talking on that piece of resilience, what advice would you give to someone who's, like, I guess, interested in starting something new or maybe breaking away from the norm of routine of something they've done and they'd like to step out, you know, and just kind of, you know, back themselves.
Virtue:I would say there'll be a lot of noise, people telling you, oh, don't do this, do that, this is do this, this is do that. Put your blinkers on.
Lauren:Okay.
Virtue:And focus. Focus. Focus on what you want. You know, there are some advice that's great, but you don't have to take everybody else advice. You can take some.
Virtue:You can leave, you know, you can leave some. Whatever you take, try and incorporate it with, you know, with yours if it works with with yours. And also if you're passionate about it, definitely go for it.
Lauren:So that's some that's, I'd say, some sound advice for sure. Yeah. Blocking out the noise is a big one. Actually, you've had experience with fashion across like three different continents.
Virtue:Okay. Yeah.
Lauren:I'd say, what do you think is the biggest difference between fashion in Ghana, fashion in New York, fashion in Ireland?
Virtue:So in Ghana, we are very expressive. Also, I think because of the cultural expectations, so to speak, and because of, you know, you know, what our grandmothers and our mothers before us used to wear, you know, it's made as very bold and very, very expressive and we were very colorful, you know, very, very colorful and we're so there's a New York daring, daring and shocking, making the statements, I suppose. And I think that's probably one of my struggles is, you know, just trying to get women here to not be afraid of wearing colors, expressing themselves. So New York is daring and it's bold. Ireland is Galway, I'm still and even though I do know my market, I do know who my my clientele are, I think, Arlo, the difference in our is people confidence.
Lauren:It's a good one.
Virtue:Yeah. Yeah. I think, you know and I see more and more of it, like, people are being very confident wearing color and also wanting to wear something different. People want to be different. So I suppose there is a thread kind of in between us as expresses you differently.
Lauren:What does your creative process look like when you're starting on a new project or maybe like a new season when you say something's coming out?
Virtue:So first, I try to be seasonless. I try to have my pieces being worn year round because, you know, it's sustainable and financially viable. Mhmm. And, you know, and I like to I like for people to be able to wear my pieces all year round. So the process, that's a very tough one because I go like, I'll come up with say one thing, but you don't realize how many months or even years I've been thinking of that process.
Virtue:Mhmm. Because I because I'm self taught Mhmm. I don't have, you know, like the what do you call it? I go through many many phases like I will see a garment or design a garment in my head then I have to chop it up and I take away and as I take away I add and I keep asking myself okay how would this look like. I used to design what I think I would like and what people would like but I quickly realized that just because I like it doesn't mean other people will like So it starts, you know, from chopping things up and then the fabric plays a very, very big part.
Virtue:Like I've always said that fabrics talk to me and I talk to them, like I'll see a fabric and it's like pick me, pick me, I know what we're going to do. You know it starts with you know chopping and putting pieces together and then picking the fabric and then bringing the fabric to my studio, laid it for you know, few days where we have our conversations and then washing, drying and then cutting.
Lauren:It's definitely a sort of cycle, can see that, yeah, how it goes through.
Virtue:It's it's a dance.
Lauren:A dance. There we go.
Virtue:It's a it's a dance of creativity and then it's also respect for for the fabrics really, you know, because I feel so privileged to be able to work with the fabrics that I'm able to because, you know, from where I am, it's not very easy to get it
Lauren:here. Okay.
Virtue:You know, either I travel to Ghana and bring it here
Lauren:Right.
Virtue:Or I go to The UK now, which is closest and a bit more easier for me, but also, you know, trying to show respect to to the fabrics and also respect to the people who make them, respect to what it represents, respect to what it's going to be, and, yeah, there's a lot of respect in in what I do.
Lauren:You describe your work as wearable art for the confident woman. Who is the emerald and wax woman?
Virtue:Right. The emerald and wax woman, first of all, is a woman who loves color, who's bold in their choices of color, who loves patterns, who wants to start a conversation piece, who want to invoke emotions. The emerald and wax woman is somebody who, you know, who wants something unique, not something that's overproduced because I don't overproduce. Sometimes I will make something I make four pieces and that's it. Mhmm.
Virtue:Yeah. Because I try to keep it very special, you know Right. Because I don't I don't really want people to to meet. And and sometimes and I I don't do this very often, but I have in cases, you know, somebody will buy a piece, say, in cork and another person will buy it in cork in the same place, and I just I can't do it. So I'll I'll offer them something else.
Lauren:Oh, okay.
Virtue:Yeah.
Lauren:So you would you say you've also done more, like, custom pieces Oh, yes. As well? Yeah. Okay. I do
Virtue:I do tailor, you know, I do tailor to sizes or, you know, yeah, if if I can, you know, but, you know, as you know, as most people know, my pieces are very simple. So if it's not complicated, I definitely am happy to to accommodate because I I really oh, and the emerald and waxwoman is a joyful woman because I I like to give joy, and I think the colors and the patterns give joy.
Lauren:I want to go back to where you talked about your, I guess, your pieces also being sustainable in terms of, like, there's not really, like, a seasonality like it would be with most designers. Obviously, working in an environment where that is kind of a big deal
Virtue:Yeah.
Lauren:Sustainability with fashion, how does that impact your work and, I guess, the future of it as well?
Virtue:Yeah. At the moment, I suppose it is a big issue. Know, waste is a very, very big issue. But let me just go back a bit. So for me, sustainability starts from being able to keep the people who buy the fabrics from in business so they can, you know, they can sustain themselves.
Virtue:Yeah. So that's really where it starts for me and I try to buy from small sellers, I don't buy in, like you know, like you wouldn't catch me in a manufacturing warehouse buying like thousands of things and I also buy things that people don't notice but sometimes there are some pieces that are produce only small batches. That's what draws me in because I want to do my bit by not buying too much Mhmm. To overpopulate what's already like a problematic, you know, like fashion produces, Like, we wouldn't even talk about that. So it starts from keeping the people that are selling business, trying to buy small amounts, buying bold ends.
Virtue:I also try to reduce my carbon footprint, I'm trying to do that a lot at the moment, you know, that's I'm not really going to Ghana so much now to Dubai because it is a very long, you know, it is a long way, it's a long journey, so I'm trying to support more of the fabrics that are here for me to, you know, I mean I will obviously, you know, my passion is to go into Ghana to support the women but at the moment because of, you know, all the craziness with what's going in the world and sustainability and carbon footprints and everything, I'm trying to to minimize that. So, you know, I will go to the closest place that I can can get it. So, you know, I'm to do my thing. Do what you can.
Lauren:Yeah. That's great. And it's good to hear because I think that also speaks to like the heart of the brand and who you are. Yeah. And that probably resonates well with people too who have those same visions and aspirations for the future
Virtue:in mind. I hope.
Lauren:Yeah. Hope. Yeah. Hope for a better world and it's nice to see fashion playing their part. Would you like to do any, like, collaborations with any other designers or brands or have you done any?
Virtue:No, I haven't done any. I would love to. I mean, there are so many people in the industry here in in in Ireland that, you know, I love to to work with. There are so many. I don't know if I can say the names without the permission, but, you know, I had this idea of doing collaborating with knitwear, you know, design.
Virtue:I feel like there is something there with knitwear and the prints, whether it's it's putting it together, matching it together or weave I don't know. Right. I don't know. Weaving, like, end bits. Yeah.
Virtue:Again, you know, I I hold all my offcuts. Okay. I hold all of them. Yeah. But I I would love to to collaborate with with designers here.
Lauren:If you could leave one piece of advice for our viewers here, not necessarily like in maybe an experience with the expat, but just your transition moving here to Ireland, creating a business. If there's anything you'd like to share, give some final thoughts. Yeah.
Virtue:Moving to anywhere from what you know is difficult. It is gonna be difficult. If your heart is in it, you feel it's the right thing it's the right place for you and you can persevere, ride it out and see what happens. You don't just get up and move for just to do that. There's usually something in it.
Virtue:And if, you know, if you can if it's not a huge inconvenience or distress for you to wait and find out, you know, what is in a new place for you. I would say try and find it.
Lauren:Try and find it. What about those fears of sometimes thinking, should I go back home?
Virtue:Oh, you have plenty of that. Still have that. Really? Yeah, still have that. Okay.
Virtue:Know, sometimes there are and it's more for the conveniences, you know? Like, you know, I can just get up and go to Chinatown or to Chinatown and, you know, for me it's about food and culture, You know, I still have that, but then I'm like, well, yeah, but, you know, it's not as peaceful as Galway. Like, I've gone to New York and I've had to cut my trip short. Oh, yeah. Because I just I'm like, oh, god.
Virtue:I can't
Lauren:It's probably not the same. Right? No. Yeah. That's true.
Lauren:It's kind of like you've changed and New York has changed as well.
Virtue:Oh, yes. Yeah. Yes. Like, the New York that I I have kind of photographed in my, you know Yeah. The way I left it is not the way it is, and friends have moved on, you know, places have changed and Yeah.
Lauren:What do you do to get over that kind of, like, homesickness, actually? Oh,
Virtue:I don't know. For me, it was tough because, you know, I was pregnant when I moved here and then I was pregnant not too long after I had my third. Try and find a community, try and find a community. If I am just now, believe it or not, trying to find that there are American ex expats. Yeah.
Virtue:Or it doesn't even have to be people from America, but try and find a community, you know, or build a community. It's very, very difficult to do. I'm not gonna lie. But, you know, start small, you know, create an interest or find where you can find same minded like minded people who share, you know, your passion.
Lauren:The community is a big one.
Virtue:Yeah. Try to find the community. Yeah. And once you know, I know that sometimes it's hard because when I first moved, I felt like everybody was gonna suss me out and say, what is she? Is she gonna stay?
Virtue:Am I if I invest in this, will it pay off? And, you know, don't give up again. That's the resilience.
Lauren:They're in that as well. You find Ireland to be very welcoming to you when you came or how would you explain Yes
Virtue:and no. When I first came, I think, you know, this was nearly fifteen years ago. Yep. Mhmm. Fifteen.
Virtue:Ireland was very different than what it is now. Okay.
Lauren:For better or
Virtue:for No. I think I think it's a bit it's it's better. Better.
Lauren:Okay.
Virtue:For one, it's it's getting a bit more diverse, which is good. People are more open minded and seeing more of people like me. Yeah. So was it was it was very tough. I also came pregnant and, you know, I had I had a small baby.
Virtue:I had two other kids that I needed to to take care of. My husband was working. So, like, I was at home a lot, so my focus was just about, you know, the boys and also trying to get over my homesickness and, you know, trying to get used to the new place, new foods, the weather, everything, so you know, was a huge struggle for me mentally. Mentally was big but I also was very alone because I didn't know anybody. I I didn't know anybody when we moved myself for my husband's brother and his wife.
Virtue:Yeah. So it was I found it really, really tough. It took me took me a few it took me about three years to finally kind of say, okay, well, I'm here now, and, you know, when the boys were old enough and I felt, like, comfortable enough going into community. But, you know, you will go into places as well and people don't know who you are, people wouldn't be interested in who you are because they don't know you, they don't know if they invest, they're going to leave and all that. So it was difficult but then there's a small percentage that you know, they see you, they're like, welcome, know, where are you from, you know, what do you do, who are these and, you know, but yeah, it's a mixture but I would say, to be honest, it wasn't very easy, especially the mental aspect.
Lauren:Yeah. But now you can say you've pretty much created a home.
Virtue:Yeah. I mean, now, you know, like, I know so many people just here in Barney, you know, it's just and people come in and we chat and you know like I see somebody and I say this is a tea kind of person so I get the chair and I bring it and we sit and we chat and you know the great thing is about you know being here and having your shop is mostly women that I chat with, we talk about children, we talk about relationships, we talk about you know like female stuff like know menopause and all that stuff, we talk about our children, we talk about you know we try to stay away from politics, you know, but we do talk about, you know, a bit of world affairs and, you know, how Ireland is versus, you know, other places and stuff like that. So I feel like I have finally I'm built I have built a community or and I'm and I've been welcomed into the community, so that part is is good, you know. I finally feel like, yeah. So that's what I I mean by their resilience.
Virtue:You know, it's just sort of persevere and if you feel in your heart there is something, try and stay and see, you know, what it is. It might take twenty years, it might take five years, it might take six months, but, you know.
Lauren:Are there any upcoming things that we can expect for Emeril and Wax? Or we should be on the lookout for?
Virtue:Two things actually, so taking part in the Arc Cancer Fashion Support that's in at the RDS on March 27, it's it's great to, you know, to be able to to support that. Yeah. I think, you know, if if people are in a position to to support and even come to the show and stuff like that, I think it's great. It's it's quite a lot of Irish designers that I will be there, myself included. And then I am gonna have a workshop using my offcuts doing blocks, wall art, and that's sponsored by the Gowie City Council.
Virtue:And there are a few other things coming up I'm hoping to add to, you know, add some new pieces to my existing collection, you know, refresh. Refresh. Yeah. Refresh. And then there yeah.
Virtue:There are a few there are a few things in the pipeline that hopefully will
Lauren:Keeping you busy. Yes. Virtu, thank you so much for your time This is a great conversation and I really appreciate all the advice and feedback you've given.
Virtue:It's been a pleasure. Thank you for that.
Lauren:We look forward to having you and seeing more of you and the emerald and wax brand. Hey. Thank you. And that's a wrap on this episode of the Galway Gal. I hope today's story sparked some inspiration, a few laughs, and maybe even a new perspective on what it means to call somewhere else home.
Lauren:If you love this episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, share it with a fellow traveler or dreamer. And hey, I'd love to hear from you. Got a question? A wild expat story? Or just wanna say hi?
Lauren:Connect with me on Instagram at the Galway Gal. Until next time. Keep exploring, keep evolving, and most importantly, stay true to yourself. No matter where in the world you are.
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