Irish tailor and designer Stevie Blake has launched his new label, Monto & Perri, in Dublin's Temple Bar. We caught up with the Laois man to discuss his creative childhood and love for bespoke fashion.
Raised by a family of matriarchs and bikers, Stevie Blake recalls a warm and busy household that emboldened him to colour outside the lines.
"I was raised by women," he tells me over the phone, listing his mother and sister as two of his biggest influences.
"I lived with strong-willed women, so it certainly set me in my place," he laughs. "There were no gender norms enforced; creativity was fully enforced. I was very into art, and both my parents were actually very supportive of that, so no matter what direction I wanted to take, they were there for it."
Growing up in the small area of Ballycarroll, Co. Laois ("it's not even a village, it's basically a pub and a church"), the 31-year-old says he always had an infatuation with clothing, and loved to see what people were wearing - no matter the activity.
"I've always expressed myself through clothes, whether that's through bags or music or different sports. For me, it was what people were wearing rather than what they were doing," he explains.
Growing up before the era of internet shopping, Blake admits that he had to bide his time when it came to pulling looks - particularly when emulating his favourite hip-hop stars.
"When you're into hip-hop, Laois wasn't really the place to be," he laughs. "I remember I would go into town in Dublin with my sister and step-brothers, and they'd bring me to the only hip-hop shop that was in there on Moore Street."
After a few twists and turns, and with the encouragement of his mother, Blake eventually entered the doors of the Grafton Academy of Fashion Design, where he spent the past four years studying under the tuition of Colin Atkinson.
Having completed his studies in June 2023, Stevie put his learnings to work and launched his first collection. Conceived by Stevie and his business partner Damien, Monto & Perri aims to be an all-accessible brand.
"Inclusivity doesn't have to just come down to just gender norms and that sort of thing," he explains. "It's about saying that no matter what stuff you're into - whatever you fashion sense is - just allowing the same sort of finish of a tailored garment to that."
"The last collection I did before this was a sportswear collection," he adds, "and I did it because I had absolutely no interest in doing it. I pushed myself to do things within that collection. It's tailored fashion within a realm of clientele that I wouldn't see myself working for."
As well as creating his own pieces, Blake says he hopes to create bespoke designs and alterations so that Irish consumers can own their dream pieces.
"When it comes to bespoke pieces, it's ultimately down to what they want. It's about them getting to express themselves and get what they want in the way they want it. It's about getting it exactly how they envisioned it. They come to me because they can't find it somewhere else."
Reflecting on the sustainability of creating designs that are made to last, Blake admits that he could "understand" fast fashion a few years ago because it was cost-effective, but believes it's now costing more in the long run.
"Now you're paying €80-€100 for clothes that aren't made for you and are made from sh***y fabric. Realistically, they don't look or fit too well, so you'll probably wear it for a month or two. Most of those clothes are never truly worn. If you can invest a small bit more in the alterations side of things, I guess that slows things down and you'll actually get multiple wears out of something."
"You should have things for the rest of your life," he notes. "I'd love things be held on to for longer and be mended. I'd love to have pieces that I can hold on to and pass down to my children or other people's children."
Titled Black Sheep, Monto & Perri's brand new collection is centred around the concept of a queer liberalist dinner party. Captured at Inishbeg Estate, West Cork, the collection features cuts and tailoring that blur the lines of traditional tailoring and modern design.
"Honestly, this was just based around myself and my friends," he insists. "Even when it came down to the shoot, it was in my friend's house, and it was pretty much just a party that we had already. We were recreating that but everyone was wearing my clothes.
"They might not wear those pieces every day, but they weren't in something that was completely out of their norm or out of their comfort zone - you can tell that on a camera very easily."
Looking forward, Blake insists that, although it would be nice to see an A-lister bringing his looks down the steps of the Met Gala, he's thrilled to see anybody in his clothes.
"I want to make for everyone," he insists. "If you're happy to wear it, it doesn't matter who you are."
