Designer Sorcha O’Raghallaigh and fashion for change: this week on Smart Casual

Smart Casual is IMAGE’s first fashion podcast, in collaboration with Kildare Village. In our bi-weekly chats, we examine why we wear the clothes we do and deal with personal style in a way that speaks to you

The latest September issue of British Vogue, featuring 15 innovative and groundbreaking women from a variety of backgrounds, has everyone in the fashion world talking this month. In what is traditionally a fashion-focused issue, Vogue’s September offering showed how fashion can be a platform for change — which is exactly our topic on this week’s Smart Casual. From body image and inclusivity to climate change, our hosts discuss how much the fashion industry has changed recently to reflect societal opinions and also, how it has driven those changes from within.

Our guest this week is designer Sorcha O’Raghallaigh. Originally from Birr, Co. Offaly, Sorcha studied at Central Saint Martins and began her fashion career working under industry giants such as John Galliano and Diane Von Furstenberg. She then branched out to design under her own vision, and her intricate and ethereal pieces, including jewellery, headpieces and dresses, have been seen on A-listers such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Madonna. On this week’s episode, Sorcha chats to Edaein about her other-worldly inspirations, why taking a break from her career was the best way to boost creativity and what’s next for her designs.

Episode 24 of Smart Casual, in collaboration with Kildare Village, is available now on SoundCloud and iTunes – make sure to like, subscribe and rate us wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Smart Casual is hosted by Marie Kelly, Édaein O’Connell and Sarah Rickard and produced by Erin Lindsay. If you can’t wait to download, have a listen to the new episode below: