Innovative and inclusive, these inspiring young Irish designers tell us about their design background, the challenges they face, their inspiration and what they see for the future of design in Ireland …
Sinéad O’Dwyer fitting a model ahead of her AW24 show at Copenhagen Fashion Week.
SINEAD O’DWYER, LONDON
DESIGN BACKGROUND: Sinéad studied fashion at ArtEz University of the Arts in Arnhem in the Netherlands before doing an MA in Fashion at the Royal College of Art in London. Since launching her eponymous brand in 2018, Sinéad has showed at London and Copenhagen Fashion Weeks and has won numerous awards, including the British Fashion Council NewGen Award and the 2024 Zalando Visionary Award. Sinéad was praised by the Zalando jury for the visionary aspects to her designs as well as her unwavering commitment to innovation and inclusive design. “Before I did my masters I was quite confused about how to move forward in the industry. I love the craft and artistry behind fashion but the industry culture is generally not very nice, especially when it comes to body shaming. People can feel really excluded and uncomfortable in their skin,” she explains. “I wanted to start a brand with a different sort of body and a different sample size in mind. The female and femme [those who identify as female] body comes in all sorts of forms, not just one. That’s why it is important I work with multiple sample sizes and then interpret that for production.” Denim shirts, dresses and skirts made the biggest impact at her AW24 show, featuring cut-outs to reveal bare skin and moulded cups that hugged the body.
Sinéad O’Dwyer.
HIGHLIGHTS: Sinéad’s designs have been worn by Björk, Bella Hadid and Barbie Ferreira.
THE CHALLENGES: “The creative part is easy but the business is hard. The biggest hurdle is the sales channels. They are not there yet for this customer. The customer exists, but they don’t know to access luxury wholesalers or stores to buy the clothes.”
THE FUTURE: “I think it will take a long time for the industry to re-learn the idea of who luxury fashion is for. It’s important that I push to sell a broader range of sizes, but we also have to educate the customer and build that trust.” www.sineadodwyer.com
Helen O’Keefe styling a shoot for LaQuan Smith in New York.
HELEN O’KEEFE, NEW YORK
DESIGN BACKGROUND: After NCAD, Helen moved to New York where she spent five years working for designer LaQuan Smith on seasonal collections (and a runway show on the top of the Empire State Building during NYFW) and created custom garments for Beyoncé, Khloe Kardashian and Nicki Minaj. Seeing a gap in the market for these custom pieces, Helen launched her own brand this year, working with stylists to produce luxe, form-fi tting gowns with a distinctly sexy vibe for high-profile clients to wear for editorial shoots, concert tours, album covers and events. Helen’s specialities include designing graphic prints for textiles and creating moulds for 3D metal creations worn as sculptural tops and a career highlight was designing and hand-sewing a shattered glass jumpsuit for Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour while working at LaQuan Smith.
Helen O’Keefe design.
WHY NEW YORK? “Endless inspiration – it’s a fashion city.”
THE CHALLENGES: “The work-life balance in New York, and the always-on pace. While I am very much a New York designer right now, down the line I would love to move closer to home.”
THE FUTURE: “I want to set my own pace within the industry and work with creatives who inspire me, collaborating through fashion, music, photography. I’ve learned that that’s where my passion lies. My designs can be quite theatrical – I’m interested in costume design and would love to design for film.” @helen_okeefe_design
Virtue Shine.
VIRTUE SHINE, GALWAY
DESIGN BACKGROUND: Self taught, Virtue began making skirts and dresses for herself when she was pregnant with her first child trying to survive the summer heat in New York City, where she grew up. Shortly after, she founded her brand, Emerald & Wax, which produces made-to-order jackets and kimonos. “Growing up in New York was like being a kid in a candy island. There was inspiration everywhere I looked,” she explains. “Street style, especially in SoHo, was a huge part of my creative inspiration. Now, living in the west of Ireland, I take inspiration from my surroundings, as well as my Ghanian heritage, and weave them all together. “I like to say I tell stories through textiles. This is the reason I create my pieces and it’s integral to understanding my work. I work with fabrics that feature Adinkra symbols which are a part of Ghanian history and all have individual meanings. For example, the “Leg of a hen” symbol signifies how a mother hen can step on her chicks but will never kill them. This rejects how careful we are, or should be, with the people we love and cherish. It can also be translated to show the strength and capacity of maternal love.”
Emerald & Wax.
THE CHALLENGES: “Having to be a one-woman company. Fulfilling every role, from receptionist to designer, can take its toll.”
THE FUTURE: “I hope to be able to bring attention to the beautiful textiles that come from the continent of Africa, and how joyful they are.” www.emeraldandwaxdesigns.com
Katie Walsh.
KATIE WALSH, LONDON
DESIGN BACKGROUND: Katie moved to London from Dublin in 2000 to study fashion design at Kingston University. After a spell at Alexander McQueen honing her pattern-cutting skills, she set up award-winning label Poltock & Walsh (Kate Moss, Alexa Chung and Sienna Miller were fans of the brand) with her best friend from university. The label ran for eight years, showing at New York and London Fashion Weeks.
WHY LONDON? “London is such a mix of cultures, I think the inspiration from that naturally finds its way into my designs.”
Re-Pete for Brown Thomas CREATE 2024.
THE IDEA: Returning to the fashion world after taking time out to raise her family, Katie was conscious of the evergrowing environmental effects of the industry, and vowed to be part of the solution, rather than the problem. “I began to research how I could use my fashion knowledge to create a label that would make a positive impact on the natural world,” she explains. Her brand Re-Pete, is run by strict circular principles. She designs Italian wool trench coats made from recycled jumpers, anoraks are made by transforming recycled single-use plastics into fabrics, and dresses and shirts are made from Bananatex®, a fabric produced from the banana plant.
THE FUTURE: “Even though my contribution may seem like a drop in the ocean, it demonstrates that luxury fashion can be designed with circular principles.” www.therepeteproject.com
Ejay Griffin.
EJAY GRIFFIN, LIMERICK
DESIGN BACKGROUND: After graduating from Limerick School of Art and Design, Ejay launched her eponymous slow fashion brand in 2020.
THE IDEA: Ejay’s pretty ready-to-wear and made-to-order dresses and cropped jackets are made from deadstock and end-of-line fabrics, with a focus on Donegal tweed, which has inspired the brand’s signature patchwork style. “I’ve always been focused on fabric – it decides the direction, mood, concept, silhouette. I am mindful about the materials I source and how I use them, including repurposing off-cuts,” she says. “I also like to consider movement, comfort, practicality and functionality during my design process. Each day in my studio I play freely with diverse colours, textures and patterns, mixing and matching fabrics and prints. It is like being in control without being in control. Perfection and I do not go together. Every day is a learning process for me when it comes to sustainability. I do not judge, I learn; I do not misuse, I reuse where I can. Every contribution made counts in reducing our carbon footprint.”
EjayGriffin for Brown Thomas CREATE 2024.
THE CHALLENGES: “Not getting the support from the government to support small growing businesses like my own and others in the industry. The country has a lot of potential for fashion and arts to excel but it can be hard to make a living as a fashion designer in Ireland.”
THE FUTURE: “No matter how challenging it might be, I have no intention of slowing down. EjayGriffin is still learning to walk – in time it will fly.” www.ejaygriffin.com
