A young Galway designer who returned home from Canada due to the pandemic is running with a new shoe art business in Ireland.
Before the outbreak, Barbara Bennett was pursuing a career in design in Vancouver but, after losing her job, she returned home to Galway city in March.
The NCAD graduate was not entitled to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and, finding herself with plenty of spare time during the first lockdown, she began to customise shoes with her hand-painted floral designs inspired by her Granny's garden. "With all my spare time at home, I came up with the idea to paint shoes," Barbara said. "I was sitting at home one day and I was like, 'why don't I use what little money I have left to buy ten pairs of shoes.'" "It's