The brands and designers catching our eye at Dublin Independent Fashion Week
Dublin Independent Fashion Week kicks off today for a weeklong celebration of Ireland’s emerging and established talent. Ruth O’Connor takes a look at some of the brands catching her eye.
Now in its third year, Dublin Independent Fashion Week has come a long way to become one of the most exciting events on Ireland’s fashion calendar. What began as an idea in the mind of a small but dynamic group of independent designers has grown to become a much-anticipated week-long event showcasing 60-plus Irish independent brands through an impressive series of 30 in-person and online events across multiple venues including runway shows, live performances, panel discussions, showroom events, repair workshops and even life drawing presentations. Here are some of the brands catching my eye.
RÍON HANNORA
Photographer: Aoife Louise Photography
A previous recipient of the DCCI Future Makers Award and the RDS Craft Award, Ríon Hannora studied at LSAD, has interned with Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, has worked on the production of the YSL AW20 collection and has showcased her work at Copenhagen Fashion Week. A founder member of DIFW, Hannora will present her first ever solo runway show ‘Chapter 7: Sex Before Marriage’ on Thursday at Bewley’s Café Grafton Street.
This unisex bridal collection celebrates “everything good about marriage” according to Hannora including the outfits, the love and the communal joy whilst “discarding the associated outdated baggage including the compulsory heteronormativity, religious beliefs, shame around sexuality and patriarchal traditions that see women as property.”
The result, says Hannora is a “wedding without the weird stuff”, and a reimagination of what bridal wear can be, showcased in a celebratory cross-over event that will feature music by Biird, floral design by Nettle Design, jewellery by Riley Haus and paintings by Paddy Critchley.
Hannora’s collection takes inspiration from the idea of Radical Frivolity – a concept that marries the seriousness of radical political action with the lightheartedness and playfulness of frivolity. “It’s not just about being silly, but about using frivolity as a tool for resistance, social change or challenging the status quo,” she says.
AISLING DUFFY
Another founding member of DIFW, designer Aisling Duffy is known for her slow and sustainable approach to fashion and the creation of limited edition collections and custom designs made from vintage, second-hand and deadstock fabrics. Inspired by “daydreaming, 90s grunge and dressing up,” Duffy blends feminine silhouettes with modern aesthetics incorporating techniques such as patchwork, screenprinting and embellishment.
Duffy is a graduate of NCAD, as well as The Edinburgh College of Art where she specialised in print for textiles, and worked as a fabric designer in London before launching her brand in 2017. This week she will launch a collection of 15 one-off dresses which will be available exclusively through her website from October and which mark the “beginning of a new chapter” for her brand which will see her focus on “small scale manufacturing while still offering one-off products as online exclusives.”
Duffy’s showcase is part of Becoming – a 50-minute fashion performance on Wednesday this week that also features the work of The Zero Waster and Solstice by Seeking Judy (see below) as directed and produced by Zeda the Architect.
MAR KNITWEAR
Photographer: Steve Gallagher
If you’re a fan of Netflix’s Wednesday series then you may be familiar with the work of Mar Knitwear founder Mihai Mar whose iconic striped jumper can be seen on Pugsley Addams played by US actor Isaac Ordonez in Wednesday Season 2.
Mar has emerged as an exciting voice in contemporary Irish fashion, and, alongside Jennifer Slattery, Mar Knitwear, Aoife Lifestyle and The Zero Waster, recently showed at Copenhagen Fashion Week at the showroom Poet.
Mar’s independent, queer-led knitwear label blends story-driven design with refined craftsmanship to reinterpret traditional knitting through a bold contemporary lens. Each piece is designed in-house using ethically-sourced materials and traditional techniques that create a dialogue between innovation and authenticity.
This week Mar will present his latest collection at his ‘Merits Over Mischief’ concept cafe and showroom at Dublin’s Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre. The new collection, F’, draws on a boyish academia aesthetic and features school uniform inspired silhouettes that are reimagined through a playful, contemporary lens.
Crafted with fibres from Donegal Yarns, the new collection highlights the beauty and versatility of Ireland’s traditional materials in a way that feels both timeless yet contemporary. “Structured yet spirited, the collection explores the tension between discipline and mischief – balancing perfectionism and rebellion,” says the designer.
MIA WALSH STUDIOS
NCAD design graduate Mia Walsh will show for the second time at DIFW this week. Mia Walsh Studios was created to “explore fashion as a tool for self-construction and storytelling” and is known for the creation of genderless and seasonless garments that channel a punk aesthetic and a “quiet resistance against conformity and static identities.” Think armour-like garments that create a tension between fragility and resilience.
Mia Walsh is one of 14 designers taking part in Tógála – a showroom event and pop-up shop at The Chocolate Factory which is a great opportunity to discover and shop Ireland’s up and coming brands.
SEEKING JUDY AND SOLSTICE BY SEEKING JUDY
Photographer: David Willis
Photographer: David Willis
Founder of Seeking Judy and Solstice by Seeking Judy, designer Megan McGuigan has been involved with DIFW since its inception and has showcased her work in Dublin, Barcelona, Copenhagen and beyond.
McGuigan’s Seeking Judy brand is, she says, where she has “most fun when designing” – “The clothes are loud and colourful and I want people to feel happy when they reach for them in their wardrobes” – think waterproof bags and mohair jumpers. Solstice, on the other hand, is a brand and a project inspired by the designer’s grandmother and which goes beyond fashion to a wider “exploration of Irishness, our relationship to landscape, sustainability, tradition and the Irish textile industry.”
The two collections will be included in the Aisling Annamh event at Kirkos as well as in the Becoming event on Wednesday this week as outlined above.
EMILY O’SHEA
Having helped out at the first DIFW as an intern in 2023, designer Emily O’Shea says that showcasing her designs in this week’s Tógála show will be a “full circle moment.” “The Irish fashion industry is so community based it’s important that we have a platform to show off our work and celebrate each other,” she says.
Since graduating from NCAD, O’Neill has seen her designs feature in a number of media outlets (including this one) and has had her designs appear on members of the girl band Biird. Her graduate collection Up the Walls and on the Ground was inspired by getting over her fear of busy traffic having been knocked down and featured images of seagulls eating Supermacs, pigeons, spray painted walls, traffic cones and binbags. Her new collection features digitally printed imagery on fun and flattering silhouettes including gathered vests, t-shirts, bubble skirts and joggers.
MCKINNEY CO DESIGNS
Photographer: Asta Lee
Photographer: Rachel McKinney
Since graduating from LSAD in 2024, Rachel McKinney has continued to work with second-hand and deadstock materials to create Americana-inspired designs. She has also launched a selection of knitwear items using responsibly-sourced yarns, has shown pieces at the Limerick Riverfest Fashion Show, taken part in Om Diva’s Mini-Collection initiative and had items styled by Eoin Galvin and Zeda the Architects for Earth Rising in collaboration with IMMA.
This week she will showcase colourful knits and crochet pieces which play on the patchwork designs of her western shirts. These pieces will be a part of the Re:THREADED collaborative showroom on Sunday which includes Clouds in My Coffee, Na Seoda Vintage, Stephanie Johnson and a workshop with Liv Vintage Studios.
AUGUST NIGHT
On Friday this week, six established female-led brands will come together at 18 Ormond Quay for Gathered Forms, a press and VIP event presenting a curated conversation between fashion, accessories, textiles, jewellery, millinery and skincare. The showcase brings together Jennifer Slattery, August Night, FAO Millinery, Ros Duke, Inner Island and Oxmantown Skincare and customers will have the opportunity to engage directly with the designers and experience their collections firsthand.
Founded by Caoimhe Grant, August Night is known for its beautiful bags which feature distinctive details including gentle twists, knots and generous bows – perfect for special occasions or to elevate the everyday. Constructed in satins and velvets, taffetas, linens and more, each piece has a gentle contemporary narrative. Grant’s latest collection, inspired by a visit to The National Portrait Gallery in London, includes two new hero pieces – The Petal Drawstring Bag in stain and the Minimal Drawstring Bag which makes its debut as a sleek vehicle for mirror fabric and is also offered in velvet for a more understated finish.
Follow @dublin_ifw for real-time updates this week.
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