We recently connected with Kathy Mc Guinness and have shared our conversation below.
Kathy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear your thoughts about family businesses.
Like most things in life, we learn as we go. Surprisingly, I kickstarted the brand, not Freddy, even though he’s the artist. While he was content painting just for his own enjoyment, I recognized his immense talent and saw the potential to take it further.
Our dynamic works well because I genuinely enjoy what I do, and he appreciates that his main job is to paint and show up at the occasional art fair. I’d say he’s got the easier end of the deal – lucky him! Ha ha!
Starting a venture with your husband isn’t a walk in the park, but as long as we stick to our respective lanes, we’ve found it keeps things smoother. Aligning two artistic minds can be tricky. I mainly look after and curate the print side of things, leaving the art to him. However, every now and then, I’ll throw in a special request and patiently wait for inspiration to strike him!
As for our son, would I want him to join the business someday? Absolutely, if that’s where his heart leads him. He’s surrounded by people with a deep appreciation for the arts, so he’ll have our full support—unless, of course, he turns out to be absolutely rubbish at it. In that case, I’ll likely break it to him gently that it might not be his forte, lol.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m not originally from the States. Almost a decade ago, I took a leap of faith from Dublin, Ireland to Los Angeles on the O1 artist visa. My life has been a vibrant tapestry woven with threads of arts and fashion, starting from my early years as a performer. I took my first ballet class before the age of 1, and from that moment, I never stopped dancing. As an adult, dance evolved into my career. I taught, performed, choreographed and eventually, I founded dance events in Ireland, providing a platform for other young performers. Additionally, I proudly initiated Ireland’s first dance awards show.
However, fashion was always my not so silent companion. I consider both dance and fashion as forms of art and passports to self-expression. At one point, I found myself choreographing one month and jetting off on a buying trip to Paris the next. My fashion journey has taken me from managing family-owned boutiques to managing Luxury Labels like Max Mara. Each step has provided me with invaluable experience, building my expertise from the ground up. As for art, both my Mom & my aunt are phenomenal painters and artist, so SKINS LA is really a combination of everything Ive been surrounded by my entire life.
With SKINS LA I get to use so much of my past experience, it’s really fun for me. Although I don’t get to dance so much anymore, dancers have definitely worn our stuff, so it still feels kinda close ha ha! We create art prints, wearable art & of course Freddy’s original paintings. We do a lot of limited edition pieces also, like hand painted clothing.
This year, upon my return to work, I decided to take control and print our clothing in-house. I relish the opportunity to craft each piece to order, minimizing waste in the process. Having spent years in the fashion industry, witnessing the shocking levels of waste produced by big brands, I’m proud that SKINS LA intentionally avoids the fast fashion cycle. We don’t aim to continually release new prints. Our approach is more, wearable art, timeless and resistant to trends. We’re striving to be the antithesis of fast fashion, making each piece a conscious and sustainable choice.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Every immigrant, without a doubt, exudes resilience. The path to America on a visa is both arduous and expensive. Personally, I see myself as fortunate—more accurately, it’s the culmination of years of work as an artist that led to being granted the O1 visa not once, but twice.
Additionally, navigating the return to work after welcoming my son has been quite a journey. It’s a challenging balancing act—finding the time to create while essentially being a full-time mom. Do I now sometimes regret living 11hrs away from family? yes, yes I do! ha ha!
Early mornings and late nights have become the norm, but it’s undeniably worth it. My son is my primary motivation for diving back into the creative realm. Moreover, as a creative individual, rediscovering myself was a crucial aspect. Everyone’s journey is unique, but it was vital for me not to be solely defined by the role of a mom. I needed something that was purely my own. There are days when I accomplish a lot, and then there are days when spare minutes are a luxury. I’ve had to cut myself some slack and realise I can’t do all of the things, all of the days. Being an Aries, it’s been a tough but enlightening realization, lol!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I wouldn’t say I ‘had’ to pivot in the traditional sense, but delving into children’s wear felt like an absolute must for me. It’s funny because, before motherhood, creating kids’ clothing never crossed my mind! The realization hit me during my pregnancy when I went shopping for baby clothes. Boy clothing, especially, seemed seriously limited. I mean, dinosaurs and trucks are great, but if you wanted something different, the options were slim!
Fast forward to me, six months postpartum, standing in line to buy a $60 sweater for my little one. That’s when the realization hit: Mom here hadn’t bought herself a thing and was rocking the same maternity shorts I had purchased during pregnancy. That was the real lightbulb moment—ha ha!
Transitioning into children’s wear was quite straightforward. While we don’t create art exclusively for kids, I do pay extra attention when selecting artwork that suits children. Although I apply this consideration to all our clothing, not all of Freddy’s art should end up on a t-shirt. Some pieces delve into deep or political themes, or both, and I prefer to give them their own space in the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.skinsla.com
- Instagram: @shopskinsla @skinsla
Image Credits
JR FOTO