Green is the new black: Ireland joins the style circuit with debut fashion week this October
Dublin, Ireland. Credits: Unsplash. Shamrocks at the ready, Ireland is entering the fashion field. The country is set to host its inaugural Ireland Fashion Week this autumn, showcasing local talent on a nationwide platform for what will be the first time in the country’s fashion history. Scheduled to run from October 6 to 10, the event intends to showcase many sides of Irish fashion through a number of dedicated events held throughout the five days. In a post on Instagram, organisers said the event, which has reportedly garnered one million euros in support for Irish designers, will host 57 designers across seven shows and five events. Applications for designers to participate in the event will be open from April 23. Three of the shows have been labeled “flagship shows” and will see “Ireland’s leading designers in breathtaking locations”. A further two shows, dubbed as “spotlight shows”, will feature thematic showcases centred around sportswear, for which local brands in this category will exhibit their wares; and local culture, this year touching on Irish pub culture which will be combined with streetwear. Graduates, emerging talent and leading designers on the schedule A graduate show will also be held following the theme ‘The Irish Sea’. The event will platform 40 current and recently graduated designers studying both locally and internationally. Elsewhere, an additional runway dedicated to independent and emerging Irish talent will zone in on the concept of ‘Irish Roots’, which will be at the focus of collections from 10 select designers. Additional events taking place throughout the week include a fashion exhibition, community event and networking dinners. Ireland Fashion Week is founded by Ashley McDonnell, who also currently serves as the global consumer acceleration director for Spanish multinational Puig. Prior to this, McDonnell has held varying roles at industry giants like LVMH, where she was a digital analyst, and Google, where she served as a global luxury account manager. In 2017, she went on to found podcast and educational platform Tech Powered Luxury, which she still runs to this day. In a release shared with FashionUnited, McDonnell said: “The idea to create a nationwide Ireland Fashion Week came from a realisation that Irish fashion designers were lacking both the platform and the funding to showcase across the country. By creating an entity dedicated to producing events and experiences around the country, we’re now in a position to bring a world class fashion week to the island and help brands with the funding of their shows, subsiding selected designer and offering incredible additional supports.” The decision to launch Ireland Fashion Week comes at a time when many emerging fashion markets are dipping their toes into similar events supporting homegrown talent. For Ireland, the move into the event space is apt considering the country’s growing reputation for producing globally acclaimed talent. Simone Rocha, Paul Costelloe, Róisín Pierce and Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Anderson are among just some of those influencing the international fashion sphere in the present day, with many more on the horizon.
Shamrocks at the ready, Ireland is entering the fashion field. The country is set to host its inaugural Ireland Fashion Week this autumn, showcasing local talent on a nationwide platform for what will be the first time in the country’s fashion history. Scheduled to run from October 6 to 10, the event intends to showcase many sides of Irish fashion through a number of dedicated events held throughout the five days.
In a post on Instagram, organisers said the event, which has reportedly garnered one million euros in support for Irish designers, will host 57 designers across seven shows and five events. Applications for designers to participate in the event will be open from April 23.
Three of the shows have been labeled “flagship shows” and will see “Ireland’s leading designers in breathtaking locations”. A further two shows, dubbed as “spotlight shows”, will feature thematic showcases centred around sportswear, for which local brands in this category will exhibit their wares; and local culture, this year touching on Irish pub culture which will be combined with streetwear.
Graduates, emerging talent and leading designers on the schedule
A graduate show will also be held following the theme ‘The Irish Sea’. The event will platform 40 current and recently graduated designers studying both locally and internationally. Elsewhere, an additional runway dedicated to independent and emerging Irish talent will zone in on the concept of ‘Irish Roots’, which will be at the focus of collections from 10 select designers. Additional events taking place throughout the week include a fashion exhibition, community event and networking dinners.
Ireland Fashion Week is founded by Ashley McDonnell, who also currently serves as the global consumer acceleration director for Spanish multinational Puig. Prior to this, McDonnell has held varying roles at industry giants like LVMH, where she was a digital analyst, and Google, where she served as a global luxury account manager. In 2017, she went on to found podcast and educational platform Tech Powered Luxury, which she still runs to this day.
In a release shared with FashionUnited, McDonnell said: “The idea to create a nationwide Ireland Fashion Week came from a realisation that Irish fashion designers were lacking both the platform and the funding to showcase across the country. By creating an entity dedicated to producing events and experiences around the country, we’re now in a position to bring a world class fashion week to the island and help brands with the funding of their shows, subsiding selected designer and offering incredible additional supports.”
The decision to launch Ireland Fashion Week comes at a time when many emerging fashion markets are dipping their toes into similar events supporting homegrown talent. For Ireland, the move into the event space is apt considering the country’s growing reputation for producing globally acclaimed talent. Simone Rocha, Paul Costelloe, Róisín Pierce and Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Anderson are among just some of those influencing the international fashion sphere in the present day, with many more on the horizon.
