Cork boutique owner: New collection honours important women in my life

BUSINESS woman Maeve Dennehy has paid tribute to some of the influential women in her life by naming one of her newly-designed dresses after them.

Maeve, the powerhouse behind Love Cherish Boutique in Charleville has joined forces with the designers behind the UK fashion brand Hope & Ivy, to create a special collaboration collection. Their eight-piece exclusive dress collection was launched by Vogue Williams last Thursday in the Hayfield Manor Hotel.

Mum-of-two Maeve, originally from Cork city, explained how she crossed paths with Beth Chilton and Sarah Sleightholm of Hope & Ivy back in 2015, and has stocked it in her own boutique ever since.

It’s honestly one of my favourite brands – it’s got a real bohemian edge, beautiful embroidery and hand-drawn prints. It’s so flattering and is my ‘go to’ for any event I go to.

“I really connected with Sarah and Beth – they’re mums with their own businesses too, we have a lot in common – and a few years ago we got chatting about creating an exclusive Love Cherish collection and it’s finally happened,” she added.

The brands have poured their passion and creativity into every piece, resulting in a blend of timeless classics with a modern twist that embodies grace, confidence, and femininity. Or as Maeve puts it: “These are the type of dresses that you can wear a normal bra with! They’ve all been created with all my customers in mind.”

And they’ve been named after people who are important to Maeve, including her late sister Karen and mum.

So one is called Karen and one is called Hannah which was mum’s real name even though she was called Maeve! There’s a Kitty and a Nora after my two nanas; there’s a Virginia after my friend-tor (friend and mentor for years). 

"We also have a Claire, my first friend to model clothes in the shop for me, and she did it for years; and a Sharon, the first person to work in the shop and who stayed for 10 years, and helped me when Karen died and of course Molly, after my daughter.”

This is the first international collaboration for Love Cherish but Maeve came to the table with vast experience of the production side of the industry as she’s set to launch her fourth season of her own brand, Oh Molly (named after her daughter) next month. That’s been a huge success with many collections selling out in hours.

This latest process saw Maeve sketch ideas based on what she knew her customers would like, Beth and Sarah would then send her samples of colours and different embellishments and the eight occasion wear pieces are now available in sizes 8-22.

“Flowing fabrics were handpicked to ensure a luxurious feel against the skin and ease of wear. There’s lots of decadent detailing, delicate embellishments, vibrant prints and embroidery that have become the hallmark of Hope & Ivy dresses. 

They were crafted with real women in mind, women who need a wardrobe that is equally as versatile, transitioning from day to night.

Having Vogue Williams launch the new collection was ‘a dream’ said Maeve.

“She really represents what we’re all about: she’s fun, she keeps it real, she’s busy, and honest about the juggle.”

Anyone who follows Maeve on social media (and there’s a lot!), knows she keeps things very real, but also keeps things mainly light too.

She’s had her share of tragedy, losing her sister Karen to cancer in 2013, and then her mum Maeve in 2018, to the same disease.

She’s spoken of her grief openly many times, and has raised over €120k for Marymount Hospice, where they both died.

This is her 11th year in business in Charleville and she admitted things had been ‘a bit harder this year,’ given the cost of living crisis.

“But I’ve a great base of customers, who are so loyal,” she said. “And the exclusivity of this new collaboration is something that will be exciting for them I hope.”

Her background is customer service and she has a diploma in HR, both of which are evident in the way she conducts business. She feels things are slowing turning full circle, with a growing desire for bricks and mortar shopping.

“We also offer free personal styling, and take away that sense of overwhelm that can be there when you just shop on line. We really want to get the customer involved, and take all feedback on board. 

We’re also doing up the shop at the moment, and the idea is to make it more than visiting to browse or make a purchase, but to enjoy a really great experience.

She sees the business as being more than just a boutique, but about creating a community where women feel supported – and will be guaranteed a laugh.

The collection will go live tonight at 7pm.

For more see https://www.lovecherish.com/