INTERvIEW | Amanda Pratt
DREAM
weavers
Avoca Creative Director, Amanda pratt, talks to Anna Carey about the family business
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manda Pratt was twelve years old when her parents bought the company which would later become a huge part of her life. In 1974, Donald (LL.B., 1958), and Hilary Pratt (B.A., 1959) bought the historic Avoca Handweavers’ Mill in Kilmacanogue, County Wicklow. Although Donald, a solicitor, and Hilary, a teacher, had no experience in the textile trade, they managed to turn what most considered to be a dying business into an international phenomenon, producing beautiful woollens which made their way all over the world. Today, Avoca is a family affair. Both Donald and Hilary are still actively involved in the business – “They have never retired and I’m really glad they have not, because I like having them around,” says Amanda – and so are their children. Simon (B.A., 1987) looks after the food side of the business, including the busy cafés; Ivan manages the export business; vanessa is in charge of the stores, and Amanda is the creative director, responsible for the fashion side of the company and designing the Anthology women’s wear line among other creative duties. Growing up, Amanda had no desire to get involved with the family firm. “I was at boarding school at The King’s Hospital until I was 18 so I was quite removed from the business,” she says. “I was only home for half a day on Sundays so for six years it was not a big part of my life.” Having shown a talent for languages at school, Pratt was advised by her career guidance teacher to study modern languages at Trinity, but quickly transferred to History of Art and Architecture, and Ancient History and Archaeology. Although she enjoyed both subjects, she says she spent most of her time at Trinity in Players. “It was based in Front Square at the time,” she recalls. “We had an absolutely
brilliant time.” She was surrounded by talented young students. “A lot of the people with whom I was in Trinity in the early 80s have gone on to do really interesting things – Anne Enright, Pauline McLynn and Declan Hughes,” and she has retained some knowledge from her degree. “It has been very good in that it gave me reference points,” she says. “I end up doing a lot of work with architects now, and I was used to looking at ground plans and elevations in History of Art and Architecture, so it is all very familiar.” After graduation, Pratt, like many of her peers, headed to London. “I had always loved clothes,” she says. “I had been the wardrobe mistress in Players, and I got into a clothing technology course at the London College of Fashion. I do not know where I thought I was going to go after that.” Indeed, her first few post-college jobs in London had nothing to do with fashion at all – one involved watching videos all day for a video production company.
I had always been a very avid knitter, so I said ‘if you give me the job, I would love to come home.’" However, after a few years she found herself missing home, and when her parents told her they were having trouble with the knitwear part of the business she made what turned out to be a life-changing decision. “I had always been a very avid knitter, so I said ‘if you give me the job, I would love to come home.’ A few months later I was back in Ireland looking after
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