The designer who is from County Fermanagh has made 2025 her own with the launch of her successful collection inspired by her native county.
She speaks to Victoria Johnston about what inspires her.
Melissa Phair is the Creative Director of her eponymous fashion brand, draws inspiration from contrasts and her unique life experiences.
“I’m most inspired by contrast, the pull between home and escape, wild nature and polished luxury. It’s my Irish roots combined with the luxury islands I’ve explored during my career working on superyachts for the last 15 years before starting the fashion brand. Everything I design has to carry a sense of story and ease,” Phair said.
Her design identity has been described by Melissa as “resortwear with an Irish soul.”
Explaining the background to the collection, she said: “We started as mainly a female resortwear brand focusing on only 100% linen and organic cotton pieces. We’ve now expanded into autumn winter to serve our Irish community better,” she said.
“I’d say there’s always a tension between softness and structure: Our lace and crochet against sharp tailoring. We love our romantic silhouettes, but grounded in clean, minimal lines. Statement but also timeless.”
Melissia’s creative process begins with inspiration from images, scenes, or moods. “It usually starts with a mood, a scene, or a single image that I get inspiration from. Our first leaf pattern on our best-selling dress was inspired by wallpaper I saw while traveling in India!”
Continuing, she said “I picture the collection, is it spring? I make a loose story: Who is she? Where is she going? Is she at home, in Ireland, or away on vacation? I gather images: landscapes, interiors, clothing inspo pictures, textures. Then I start sketching. I love making collections rather than lone pieces. I feel the pieces all belong together in a community and make more sense as a full story.
The designer is fabric-led in her approach. “I’ll often choose textiles early on like lace, silk, crochet or linen. The fabric has to support the story and move the right way on the body. Then we get onto sampling. After drawing, I have them made into a tech pack. We send that off to the factory, and in around 20 days we have our first piece. We then refine it obsessively. I’m quite particular about how a piece feels from every angle and getting the perfect fit.”
When asked which design she is most proud of, Phair said: “In particular, I’m proud of the black and white crochet styles and the tailored pieces we’ve created – they capture the duality of the brand: romantic yet sharp, feminine but strong, vacation-ready but still timeless. And these pieces were what truly put us on the map. Those designs feel like a clear statement of who I am as a designer and where the brand is going. They’re pieces you can pack in a suitcase and wear for years, but they still make you feel like the main character.”
Melissia also discussed her most challenging pieces: “The technically challenging pieces are usually the crochet styles – especially when they’re sheer, fitted, and meant to feel both elevated and wearable. Because of the nature of the fabric and the many holes, these can be a nightmare to get the perfect fit with even 1cm making a huge difference on the fit.
“I never want something to look beautiful on a hanger but impossible to wear in real life. Getting that harmony right between bold design and real-world wearability is where the real challenge lies.”
She wants her customers to feel a certain way when wearing her designs. “I want people to feel like they’re stepping into their ‘vacation self,’ even if they’re at home. Their best self. Elevates, confident but relaxed,” Melissa said.
Home is at the core of her brand, she says.
” I grew up here in Enniskillen, and that sense of place is woven into everything I do. Home for me is lakes, fields, weeds, rough stone, and grey skies. Those textures and feelings show up in the clothes, in the rawness of crochet, the romance of lace, the groundedness of tailoring.
“Even though Melissa Phair is made for vacation, it’s not about running away from home. It’s about carrying your roots with you wherever you go. I want every piece to feel like a bridge between where you’re from and where you’re going next. That’s why the ‘Home’ concept is so important – it’s not just a campaign idea, it’s the emotional backdrop of the brand.”
The designer has also started a series of immersive events called “PHAIR At Home”, combining fashion with community dining experiences, as Melissia previously worked as a chef.
She said: “We have actually started a series, ’ where we host secret supper club, private dining parties where I cook for the guests myself and it gives me a chance to build a community. Helps me get to know my customers better and for them to know me. We will be collaborating with the amazing Cathy from Wilde Dining.
She added: “But it will be the first of many as home truly is where my heart is and always will be.”