These Irish creatives d... - Financial Unions

Journalist Victoria G.L. Brunton lists just some of the talented Irish designers, make-up artists, influencer and creatives making their mark at Copenhagen Fashion Week.

From designers and stylists, to makeup artists and journalists, Irish creatives were out in force at Copenhagen Fashion Week this month.

Let's discuss who they are, what they got up to, and why our creatives need to showcase their talents overseas. Ultimately, I want to know: Is it finally time for Ireland's own fashion week?

Aoife McNamara

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Ireland's first B Corp brand, Aoife McNamara, is widely recognised as the trailblazer in sustainable Irish fashion. Hosted in partnership with Donegal Yarns, McNamara's Copenhagen Fashion Week event took place in GRO Spiseri Rooftop Farm where guests enjoyed a 5-course meal – each plate made from organic, seasonal ingredients – in the company of sunflowers and fairy lights.

Showcasing the brands latest collection, 'Remember', guests were invited to 'Remember, Reconnect and Reimagine', with whimsical table settings centred around paintings by Gemma Cowen.

Pellador

Creators of the instantly recognisable jersey-inspired jumpers, Pellador hosted a pop-up shop at Rezet Sneaker Store to launch a limited-edition collaboration with B.93 – a football club based in Østerbro, Copenhagen. Music, drinks and general vibes were supplied courtesy of Danish alcohol label Depanneur, DJ Andreas Ostberg and curator Ida Mathilde Koefoed.

Sinead O'Dwyer

One of Ireland's most prominent designers, Zalando Visionary Award 2024 winner and an industry leader in body diversity, Sinead O'Dwyer's debut at Copenhagen Fashion Week was a schedule highlight for many. Set in the scenic Opera Parken, O'Dwyer's SS25 'Everything Opens to Touch' collection was an otherworldly experience led by extra-terrestrial sound effects.

Furthering O'Dwyer's emphasis and celebrations of body diversity, sculptures derived from 3D scans of her cast works of artist Jade O'Belle featured on the runway. The collection itself honed-in on the designer's signature exaggerated proportions and included O'Dwyer's hallmark second-skin latticework silhouettes, with the casting championing diversity across the board as to be expected.

'Fabric of the Future' at the Irish Embassy

A personal highlight for me, the Irish Embassy in Denmark hosted a 'Fabric of the Future' event – the third in a series of events held here to promote Irish design – where podcast host PJ Kirby led a panel discission between Deirdre McQuillan, Megan McGuigan and Aoife McNamara.

Opening the discussion, Kirby said: "I've understood the transformative power of fashion from an early age, but if we love an industry, we have to see how we're going to protect it going forward."

Unsurprisingly, McQuillan provided a wealth of thought-provoking insights into the industry and beyond. Criticising the ambiguity of 'sustainability' as a word, McQuillan said:

"Sustainability is a meaningless word. If you, as a consumer, buy half a dozen eggs labelled organic, you know they're organic. If you buy a piece of clothing that's labelled sustainable, you have no idea what that means."

McGuigan, designer and founder of Seeking Judy and Solstice by Seeking Judy, shed light on the correlation between our ancient past, cultural traditions eradicated by colonisation and our current attitude towards our planet.

"You have to look at how we got here to begin with. We lost our art and our language; we lost stories and everyday interactions with the land which would have been passed down through generations. Take the fairies, for example – our ancestors feared doing something harmful to the land, because you'd be punished for it. We lost that."

Closing the discussion, McQuillan condemned the 2003 Arts Act, a piece of legislation that reiterated the three key purposes of the Arts Council and re-calibrated the relationship between the Arts Council and government, for its complete disregard of fashion.

"The act officially defined Irish culture. We need to revise it to include fashion. Fashion is seen as commercial and it's not seen as conforming to the arts act, and I think that's disgraceful."

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Following, attendees were invited to browse the latest collections of Irish designers Ríon Hannora and MNW Designs, as well as Megan McGuigan and Aoife McNamara. Aside from designers, Irish creatives were present in all corners of CPFW events – from front row seats to backstage passes.

Stylist, writer and fashion creative Zeda was in the thick of it – running from show to show and afterparty to afterparty, documenting streetstyle and taking every opportunity to fly the flag of Irish design. You can watch her daily vlogs here @rtelifestyle.

Sam Tsan

Lead Pro-Artist for EMEA at Charlotte Tilbury, Tsan has painted the faces of celebrities from Kylie Minogue and Iris Law to Olivia Palermo and Sara Sampaio. At Copenhagen Fashion Week, she worked with Sofia Tilbury behind the scenes at ROTATE Birger Christensen – one of the most prominent events in the weeks calendar – to create and execute each model's beauty looks, alongside her team.

Cosha, Ryan Hennessy and Lucy Blue

Irish musician Lucy Blue and Ryan Hennessy of Picture This sat front row at a number of shows, including the exclusive VOGUE Scandinavia x Levis afterparty hosted at Soho House. Sinead O'Dwyer's SS25 show was centred around a poem by Anastasiia Fedorova Irish singer-songwriter and producer Cosha.

Irish Fashion Week?

It's quite clear we have the talent; Copenhagen Fashion Week is no exception, Irish creatives play prominent roles in London Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, and New York Fashion Week.

Take designers like Simone Rocha, Jonathan Anderson - both of whom have been nominated for the 2024 Fashion Awards - not to mention Róisín Pierce and Louise Kennedy, and that doesn't even scratch the surface.

As proud as it makes me to see the sheer volume of Irish talents killing it in every corner of the world, my mind constantly arrives back to the question: Why are our creatives constantly forced to go elsewhere in search of success? Is it time for Ireland's own Fashion Week? Or maybe a Fashion Weekend?

Recently, I spoke with Isabella Rose Celeste Davey, the 'adopted Irish' woman recently named as Chief Operating Officer of Copenhagen Fashion Week, to ask this very question.

"The answer isn't always a Fashion Week," she told me. "I think Ireland should start with targeted global projects and then host guests for a curated experience in Ireland. Let all interconnect, and the answer may not always be a show.

"Seeing how the beautiful Aran jumpers are made would be more impactful in my opinion. The revolution will happen on the factory floor, to quote my wonderful friend Olya Kuryshchuk (Founder of 1Granary): its all about the process and the value chain; there is an opportunity for Ireland to exceed here. The history and heritage of textiles and craft in Ireland is magnificent – let’s modernise this."

Whatever the answer may be, I look forward to seeing more investment and opportunites for our incredible homegrown talents.

For now, Dublin Independent Fashion Weekend is on the cards for 2024, and it promises to be a good one. There are still a few days left until applications close for fashion, jewellery and accessories designers based in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland – get yours in by August 30th and don't miss out.

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These Irish creatives dazzled at Copenhagen Fashion Week