Garden designer Peter Dowdall on the best places to find unique pieces for your garden
Garden designer Peter Dowdall on the best places to find unique pieces for your garden

Megan Burns

Key trends and challenges shaping the job market in 2025
Key trends and challenges shaping the job market in 2025

Leonie Corcoran

Inside this five-bedroom Edwardian Terenure home
Inside this five-bedroom Edwardian Terenure home

IMAGE

In The Meadows 2025 review: A festival for the fans
In The Meadows 2025 review: A festival for the fans

Sarah Gill

Sole Steps: Join us for a run and a coffee in Phoenix Park
Sole Steps: Join us for a run and a coffee in Phoenix Park

Edaein OConnell

We’re taking notes on the rich, tactile details of this Belfast café for our own homes
We’re taking notes on the rich, tactile details of this Belfast café for our own...

Megan Burns

Cathy White talks honestly about taking to the road as a new mum, without her baby
Cathy White talks honestly about taking to the road as a new mum, without her...

Fiona Alston

‘Grief was like being knocked down by a speeding bus. It came out of nowhere and completely floored me’
‘Grief was like being knocked down by a speeding bus. It came out of nowhere...

Mary Ann Kenny

Daniel Rankin of Man Can Cook NZ shares his life in food
Daniel Rankin of Man Can Cook NZ shares his life in food

Sarah Gill

‘I don’t want to be empowered, I want to be resourced’
‘I don’t want to be empowered, I want to be resourced’

Dominique McMullan

Image / Style / Fashion

Clare farmer Padraig Howley puts his spin on some of Zara’s more questionable campaign shots


By Sarah Finnan
19th Apr 2021

instagram / @SingandStepwithPadraig

Clare farmer Padraig Howley puts his spin on some of Zara’s more questionable campaign shots

Padraig Howley – the internet’s favourite Clare man – has delivered yet more smile-inducing content, giving us his take on some of Zara’s more imaginative campaign shots.

On a mission to get fit, Padraig Howley has taken the internet by storm since he first set up his Instagram account back in late February. Quickly cementing his status as the country’s newest national treasure, he’s been the cause of many a smile over the past few weeks with his latest escapades bringing more of the same.

The man behind the account “Sing and Step with Padraig”, he captured hearts when he decided to share his journey to getting fit and healthy online with others. Committing to going vegan for 21 days, he’s inspired people to consider incorporating more plant-based meals into their diets too. Also rallying the public to get their daily 10k steps in, he’s come to be quite the motivator and has amassed over 83 thousand followers in just a matter of a few weeks.

However, while one might afford Padraig the luxury of letting his newfound fame go to his head, the reality is that you’d be hard pressed to find anyone more humble than he. Proving that he definitely doesn’t take himself too seriously, his most recent posts have been less food/fitness-related and more fashion forward. Turning is attention to the Zara website, the proud Clare man took it upon himself to recreate some of the retailer’s more questionable poses – of which there are plenty. Just one look through their catalogue of campaign shots will tell you that.

Often photographing models in an array of suspect positions, many of the resulting images do little to actually display the items that they’re supposedly meant to be selling. Putting the Sing and Step spin on some of the classics, his home versions are as good as if not even better than the originals. Take a look for yourself below.

A much-discussed topic in my personal WhatsApp groups, the Awkward Zara Instagram account is another constant source of joy on that front. And it seems even they have given Padraig’s efforts the seal of approval, leaving a comment under one of his posts and writing, “we really hope you DO make more”.

He may have been joking when he said, “Paris fashion week here I come”, but I wouldn’t rule it out just yet Padraig.

Feature image via @sing_andstep_withpadraig