3 min read
Photo courtesy of Meghan Doyle
Designing woman: Meghan Doyle of Tallulah & Poppy
Designer Meghan Doyle will be making her debut on the style scene during Boston Fashion Week, Sept. 30–Oct. 6.
On Sept. 30, she’ll be one of six female designers featured in the BFW opening night event, “The Power of Women: The Future of Boston Fashion,” an evening celebrating the women shaking up the local fashion industry.
Her brand, Tallulah & Poppy, features dresses and separates with sleek, contemporary lines and bold colors.
Though she may be new to fashion week, she’s no newbie to fashion. Doyle began designing in high school when she would take clothes from the previous season and remake them with new fabrics and alterations. Since those early DIY days, her fate was sealed.
In between sketches and seams, Doyle cares for her 14-month-old daughter, who often accompanies her to the design studio.
Who knows, Tallulah & Poppy might rapidly turn into a mother-daughter business.
Photo courtesy of Tallulah & Poppy
Short story: One of the leg-baring looks from Tallulah & Poppy’s latest collection
Exhale: How did you launch Tallulah & Poppy?
Meghan Doyle:I got my bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in marketing and [then] I went to the School of Fashion Design in Boston. I wanted to know both sides of the industry. After I got out of school, I worked at TJX for a few years in product development and that taught me a lot. Once I had that experience, I felt ready to go off on my own. It’s been a lot of learning.
What styles will you be launching this fall?
Lots of separates. It’s all about the fabric and the textures. I have a few looks with shorts that will be worn with tights. I think if you have shorts with tights and a blazer you could wear that to work. One of the shorts I have is a metallic gold, so I was thinking that would be great for a holiday party. Depending on how you style it, you can really make it work for several different occasions.
Where did the name Tallulah & Poppy come from?
I wanted the name to represent who my client is, so I did a lot of research about the meaning behind names. I finally settled on Tallulah because it means full of life, and Poppy, which means to be spunky and have fun. I feel like those two things represent the woman I’m dressing. My woman isn’t afraid of color, she loves to enjoy fashion, and she doesn’t take herself too seriously.
How does it feel to be a newcomer on the Boston fashion scene?
It’s been great. The Boston fashion scene is awesome right now. There’s so much going on with fashion and tech, and so many emerging designers and independent brands coming up. There are a lot of cool collaborations between fashion brands and other groups like cycling studios and artists. I think people are kind of tired of what they’re seeing at the mall all the time; they’re looking for something more special that not everyone has.
Ethical and environmental practices are a big part of your brand. Tell us why.
Having worked at other companies before and seen what goes on, I know the fashion industry has a lot of work to do. There’s a lot of waste going on, and we need to be thinking about where clothes are made, factory conditions, and fair payment.
Everything for Tallulah & Poppy is developed and produced in Massachusetts, in Lowell and Quincy. I know everyone. I’m there. I know people are being treated well—everything is very transparent. My studio space is next to the development and production, so I’m always popping in and out. It’s really nice to build these relationships and provide jobs locally.
We’re also all about recycling, saving fabrics. Textile waste in landfills is one of the biggest industry issues. Fortunately there are more and more textile recycling companies becoming available. Any fabric we don’t use gets donated.
