I have just finished my BA Honours degree in Fashion Design this year at Griffith College Dublin and my collections are inspired by the world around me, including literature, art, memories, places and the chaos of life itself. I am passionate about telling a story through creative and sustainable designs, delving into themes inspired by my memories, literature, art and unorthodox materials. I uses materials like wire from construction sites, deadstock fabric and thread recycled into fabric to create a sustainable approach to fashion, continuously working to add new sustainable elements to my work. This teamed with high quality craftsmanship, aims to create truly unique and sustainable garments to last a lifetime, something very important to me. My graduate collection, ‘A Morbid Longing for the Picturesque’ is an A/W’26 womenswear collection inspired by this same quote from the modern classic ‘The Secret History’ by Donna Tart. As a professional dancer myself, my research follows two main themes: looking at the lengths people go to in order to fit into today’s society, and the harsh physical and mental reality of a life dedicated to dance. This collection combines diverse elements such as tailored suit jackets, hand sculpted wire corsets and emphasised curves that are reminiscent of fluid dance moves. What makes this collection truly unique however is the fabrication. The whole collection has been made using fabrics and textiles that are usually “hidden” in terms of dressmaking and tailoring. Calico and fusing textiles prove that what is usually disregarded and unseen can in itself be beautiful and celebrated. I also created intricate embellishment using recycled thread and electrical wire, both for circular style and to represent the morbid longing itself.
