Aiveen Daly

The soft touch of a textile maven

• Aiveen fashions her interior designs like couture garments
• She sculpts, paints and manipulates fabrics to create interesting narratives
• She works on projects for luxury hotels, yachts and private residences

Born in Ireland, Aiveen Daly originally studied business studies and Russian in Dublin. She lived in Moscow, St Petersburg and Sydney, worked in marketing management, before settling in London. This is where she realised she had another calling. Aiveen enrolled in evening classes and learned furniture upholstery. Over the years, she has honed her skills and developed her own innovative and intricate manipulation techniques, to become a sought-after specialist in interior textile upholstery. Aiveen weaves her love of couture fashion into a range of projects from re-upholstering services to creating bespoke pieces of furniture and surfaces internationally. Unashamedly glamourous and with a penchant for sumptuous materials, Aiveen has created a body of work synonymous with sophisticated detailing and refined embellishments.

Interview

©Oda Eide

©Oda Eide

What was the first application you made?

I started embroidery at the age of 12 when I inherited a Weldon’s Encyclopedia of Needlework from my grandmother and badly copied an ecclesiastic embroidery from the pages. I still refer to this book which has almost 1000 pages of intricate instructions.

What do you like most about your craft?

I love the endless versatility of textile art. No two days in the studio, or commissions, are ever the same. It allows me to explore so many different techniques, colour palettes and ideas. It keeps everything so fresh and inspiring.

Is age-old craft compatible with new technologies?

Absolutely! I love the alchemy of old and new – that is where the magic often lies. Technology can really help me to push the boundaries of techniques and allow clients to better visualise commissions before they are made.

What techniques did you develop specifically?

I love layering different techniques to give real richness to my compositions. Most recently I developed a technique to sculpt ribbon using the side profile. I work with the negative space to create beautiful fine lines, shapes and shadows.

Aiveen Daly are expert artisans they began their career in 2005

Works

©Oda Eide

©Oda Eide

©Oda Eide

©Oda Eide

©Oda Eide

Where