Fashion In Dublin: Bursting At The Seams With Talent

We’re a talented bunch.

New York, London, Milan and Paris. The fashion capitals of the world house some of the most prominent brands in the industry and inspire creatives in every field; not least of all in fashion. However, you don’t need to search too far to find a fashion scene bursting with creativity, vision and talent. Ireland is home to renown visionaries including JW Anderson, creative director of Spanish luxury house LOEWE and Simone Rocha, leader of her namesake brand. If you look a little closer at the fashion industry at home, you will see a generation of creatives pushing the boundaries of what fashion can be.

Spend some time exploring the side streets of Temple Bar in Dublin and it won’t take you long to spot the foundations of Dublin’s electric creative scene. They’re young, experimental, sustainable and bursting with ideas that are challenging the limits of Dublin’s fashion arena. You may spot them filtering in and out of Dublin’s favourite vintage stores, including Deadstock, Big Love and Slaughterhouse Vintage or possibly trawling through Depop to find their next treasure. One thing is certain – secondhand, hand made and upcycled pieces are worn as a badge of honour in an emerging culture where sustainability is king.

 

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For the 700-odd people who packed into the auditorium at The Helix in Glasnevin on March 14th, Dublin’s young creatives were front and centre in a rare collective appearance. DCUStyle, the university’s fashion society, hosted their annual fashion show, one of the largest student-run events in the country each year, for the first time since the dawn of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This year’s show was focused on sustainability and Irish talent, featuring a plethora of Irish brands. Exciting student-led brands sat alongside the work of Irish designers who’s collections are often featured on some of the world’s biggest stages; displaying the versatility of Irish talent to the eager audience.

The FROW (front row) of the show was glitzing with Ireland’s favourite fashion girlies, including style queens Gráinne Binns, Johanna Dooley and our very own fashion editor, Zeda the Architect. Dooley, one of the founders of fashion rental platform Greens Are Good For You, also contributed designer pieces from her company to the show, demonstrating the power of the circular economy in fashion.

Small, yet constantly growing and evolving, the coolest brands on the scene are oftentimes the ones you haven’t yet heard of in the general media. The rise of the internet democratised marketing capabilities and opened up a world of opportunities for designers working on limited budgets. Young, exciting brands no longer need a physical space to grow their audience and become the new it-brand of the Dublin scene. Take Francis Cult – the grunge-inspired street-style brand founded by two students from Trinity College. With pop-up stores in Paris, London and of course, Dublin, this brand reveals itself to the ‘in-the-know’ audience through word of mouth, incredible creative campaigns and amazing designs.

This upward trajectory is mirrored by so many young designers who are leveraging social media and embracing Dublin’s zeitgeist that holds sustainability at its core. Ditsy Bits, another student-led brand featured in DCU’s fashion show that epitomises the environmental conscientiousness of DCUStyle’s show. Hand-making each piece using sustainable materials, the brand’s founder Emilie is building a company that doesn’t compromise on sustainability or style.

 

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This sentiment was echoed in the show’s Project Young Designer Competition (PYD), where budding young designers displayed their creations to the crowd which included industry-based judges RASHHIIID, Colin Horgan and Lara Fagherazzi. Horgan, a rising designer whose collections are often shown in London and seen on the likes of Lady Gaga, is the latest Irish designer making waves in the global fashion scene.

As for hat designer RASHHIIID, not many creatives can claim Meghan Fox and Doja Cat as clients. The Dublin-based designer has grown from strength-to-strength after winning the PYD competition herself in 2020. The annual competition shines a light on Ireland’s most talented, driven and creative young designers and is a platform for exposure for the contestants and winner.

Dublin has been a city of creatives for centuries and if you put your ear to the ground, you can easily find that the fashion scene is alive and well. There is a new generation entering the arena, bringing a fresh perspective on personal style and armed with a sustainable mantra that echoes down the streets of the city. Youth culture is constantly evolving, however there is no denying that this youthquake is changing the Dublin fashion scene for the better.

Images: Kyran O’Brien, Orla Oonah & Mark Convery, DCUStyle

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• dublin
• Fashion
• style