Brown Thomas celebrates a host of emerging Irish designers

Create has returned for its eleventh year at Brown Thomas, celebrating the best and brightest of emerging Irish design talent.

The theme for this year's showcase is Push for Progress, which focuses on championing a host of emerging Irish design talent as well as highlighting the store's the push for the progression of sustainable Irish design and craftsmanship.

The installation will showcase the extraordinary work of 33 talented designers with 21 new CREATE designers across ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories, millinery, jewellery, homeware, art and sculpture.

Photo Credit: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

This year there is also a restoration service for sneakers which further cements sustainability at the core of the project. This year CREATE will boast work from critically acclaimed Irish artist, Orla de Brí for the first time ever.

Brown Thomas Fashion Buying Director, Shelly Corkery said:

"Supporting upcoming and emerging Irish talent remains integral to our business. The past year has been challenging, it’s crucial now more than ever that we continue to seek out and support the next generation of Irish designers and support their businesses."

"We are delighted to showcase their incredible work in the pursuit of fostering creativity here in Ireland and to offer a vital commercial platform."

Who is involved?
Launched in 2019, designer Fiona O'Neill explores themes of surrealism and optical illusions, incorporating different application processes such as screen printing, painting by hand and ceramic sculpting in her eclectic line of trousers, jackets, dresses and shirts. Since graduating from Central Saint Martins, Fiona has received accolades in innovative design and her signature prints and designs have been featured in exhibitions internationally.

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Gabrielle Malone, a recent graduate from NCAD, joins the CREATE line-up this year for the first time. Having interned with haute couture label Zac Posen and sustainable designer Zero Waste Daniel, Gabrielle’s work focuses on feminine, high-quality knitwear utilising traditional techniques with contemporary silhouettes. Gabrielle uses merino wool and hand knits each piece which takes approximately 35 hours to create. Each piece is handmade in Ireland, working with wool that is mulesing free and is dyed with low impact dyes.

Former CREATE designer Katie Ann McGuigan makes a much anticipated return presenting her latest collection 'Lost Summer’. The collection is inspired by the brand’s Irish roots and seminal photography of the West of Ireland in the 1980s by Belgian photographer Harry Gruyaert with Katie also looking to interiors for print and textile inspiration. The collection presents 100% silk dresses, cosy knits and relaxed tailoring that speaks to McGuigan’s philosophy of comfort in luxury.

After her huge success in last year’s CREATE, Sorcha O’Raghallaigh returns with her unique and bespoke creations. Renowned for blurring the parameters between art and fashion, the designer is hailed for the motifs, symbolism and iconography that characterise her unmistakable aesthetic. Her approach has won her an army of celebrity fans including Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Madonna and Kate Moss to name but a few.

Sustainable brand Jill & Gill return with their ‘Wonder’ collection, a luxe-casual unisex collection encompassing crew neck sweaters, hoodies, track pants and box-cut tees. Embellished with embroidery and signature screen-printing, the collection plays on the vibrancy and graphic side of the Jill & Gill brand.

Mobius is a sustainable high-quality clothing brand aiming to give back to the world. The Dublin-based company cares about the planet and wants to create long-lasting clothing for everyone, all of their garments are made exclusively using sustainable water-based inks within their graphics and 100% natural rayon viscose thread within the embroidery. The collection comprises of graphic t-shirts, sweatshirts and joggers.

CREATE welcomes ToDyeFor by Johanna, a new brand founded in lockdown in May 2020 by Johanna Dooley. Johanna’s first collection of Instagram-worthy tie-dye loungewear pieces sold out in under an hour and has since become an influencer favourite. Johanna’s latest collection for CREATE was designed with summer at home at the forefront of her mind, the loungewear collection of sweatshirts, sweatpants and tees is filled with mood-boosting brights and colour.

Contemporary label Basic Juju presents hand-dyed and embroidered loungewear, another exciting label founded during Lockdown in March 2020. The brand’s aim to become 100% eco-friendly and sustainable; Basic Juju produces clothing that highlights the wellbeing of people and the planet, brought to life across hand-embroidered slogans on sweaters and sweatpants in shades of ocean blue, forest green and crisp white.

Begley and Bowie is a sustainable fashion brand founded by artist Doireann Healy, based in Kenmare, County Kerry. From fine art screen prints to wearable art, her pieces are a colourful and contemporary form of Irish design, celebrating the best of Ireland from people to places, illustrated on the label’s collection of slogan sweatshirts.

Top Irish model Faye Dinsmore returns with her first ever range of sweaters created in collaboration with textile designer Ciara Harrison. The collection fuses the collaborators interest in the use of stitch and embellishment to present an exquisitely unique array of sweaters.

Éadach, founded by stylist and illustrator Sara O’Neill, returns with a limited-edition collection of exquisite silk kimonos and scarves in her signature individual prints.

The Landskein presents modern refined tailoring that embodies a sense of place, tradition and impeccable craftsmanship reflected in the label’s line of tailored coats and blazers. All of the label's tweeds are exclusive to The Landskein and are made by fifth-generation weavers in County Donegal, with many of their yarns spun locally in Kilcar.

Rebecca Marsden is an award-winning fashion designer whose distinctive style has earned her both national and international recognition. Her work focuses largely on processes and fabric manipulation, exploring the extent to which a concept can be realised and made tangible.

In continued partnership with the NCAD, CREATE will showcase this year’s Brown Thomas ‘Designer to Watch’ bursary prize winner, Stephanie Finney, chosen by Shelly Corkery. Stephanie’s was selected for her collection, Easing Restrictions, which was inspired by the change in society’s attire due to the recent pandemic.

CREATE is delighted to also showcase last year’s bursary prize winner Úna Curran who will exhibit custom made pieces created especially for this year’s showcase.

Aoife Lifestyle is a luxury, sustainable accessories brand and part of a new generation of brands championing a slow fashion circular economy. Their gender-neutral bags are handcrafted using regenerated and reclaimed materials from ghost fishing nets and fabrics destined for landfills. They have been featured in British Vogue and has already placed on the designers' board for change with other well-known international designers like Gucci, Prada and Stella McCartney.

LANDA accessories were born from founder Silvana Lana McAdam’s dream to create quality bags with a firm DNA and global appeal. The LANDA brand celebrates traditional manufacturing expertise, working with small factories that handcraft each item to bring to life the most exquisite collection of handbags in universal shades of nude, eucalyptus, tan and black. The materials are carefully sourced as part of the brand’s commitment to conscious and ethical production.

Irish handbag and shoe designer Nicki Hoyne will introduce exclusive new colourways in her handbag and shoe collections for CREATE. Her statement crossbody camera bags celebrate individuality, vibrancy and showcase her passion for well-made, slow fashion products.

My Name is Ted returns with an exquisite collection of luxury leather handbags and accessories, designed with practicality and adaptability in mind and handcrafted in Italy to an uncompromising luxurious standard.

Designer Barbara Bennett’s hand-painted customised sneakers are mostly pattern-based, inspired by vibrant colourful prints and floral motifs from her grandmother’s garden. The Galway-based 26-year-old entrepreneur has designed a capsule collection exclusively for CREATE, comprised of hand painted one-of-a-kind designs on the iconic streetwear classic sneakers, Nike Air Force 1’s and Nike Air Max 90’s.

Sneaker Cleaner, a business founded by Kevin Owens whilst still in secondary school, breathes new life into pre-loved sneakers, utilising a plethora of techniques to revitalise footwear to be worn time and time again. Owens’ business has tapped into the behemoth of sneaker street style culture that has emerged in the past couple of years.

Launched in September 2020, Tidings introduces hand-rolled Italian silk scarves merging rich craftsmanship with sheer luxury. Each playfully-conceived item has been brought to life by Creative Director Niamh Gillespie, whose impressive design pedigree includes working with Alexander McQueen, Paul Smith and Liberty of London. The collection consists of hand-painted dreamy, typographic prints and statement slogans adorned across the line’s silk accessories.

Fiadh introduces a line of handwoven scarves using only the highest quality yarn sourced from spinners in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Italy. Fiadh takes inspiration from the landscape of the West of Ireland, apparent in the brand’s unique take on traditional weave structures, creating beautiful woven accessories with an edge.

Designer Clare O’Connor’s collection of scarves are pieces of wearable art, filled with vibrancy and colour. Produced in Como in Italy in small print runs, they are limited editions of O’Connor’s paintings, seasonless & collectible, promoting a slow sustainable approach to fashion.

Award winning milliner Leonora Ferguson designs have been worn by supermodel and actress, Cara Delevigne. The designer will debut fashion and millinery pieces for the first time, utilising Irish crochet lace techniques across beaded headpieces in black and white styles and blouses crafted from textured Irish linen with daisy motifs seen throughout.

New to CREATE this year, Earley Hats, founded by Katie Early, presents hand-made bespoke hats whose previous design credentials include working with world-renowned milliner Philip Treacy, Valentino Couture and Shrimps London. Using traditional hat-making techniques and equipment, Earley’s pieces are inspired by the seasonal colours and changing landscapes of rural Roscommon.

CREATE welcomes the exciting debut of Yvonne Ryan Jewellery, eclectic jewellery handmade in Ireland which is sustainably sourced. Uniqueness and design are essential in the making of every piece by the designer. Each piece is made using a combination of traditional bench techniques and modern design.

With one of only two remaining vertical mills in Ireland where local fleece is transformed into beautiful natural textiles, Cushendale’s range of lambswool and mohair blankets and scarves are rooted in six generations of craftsmanship. Today, Miriam Cushen works side by side with her father Philip developing new and bold product ranges redefining Irish textiles. Their fully traceable Irish wool comes from Ireland’s only indigenous and protected sheep, the Galway, and is ethically sourced, meaning all their products are made for a sustainable future.

One of Ireland’s most well-regarded ceramicists, Adam Frew Ceramics creates functional porcelain pieces and large one-off pots. His pieces are clean, traditional, forms thrown on the potter’s wheel that subtly show the makers hand and create a sense of life from the craftsmanship of his work. His perfectly formed tableware is decorated in spontaneous mark-making, a contrast to the finely thrown porcelain. Sharp lines, crayon scribbles, brush marks and sponged back sections reflect the energy and passion Adam invests in his craft.

Laura Quinn Design presents glassware that utilises a combination of digital technologies with traditional glass making, continuously seeking to create a sustainable body of work. Through use of modular and interchangeable design her pieces are highly bespoke and offer the user a wide range of design possibilities.

Making their CREATE debut, D8 Candle Co. candles are hand poured using the highest grade soy wax with scents that are inspired by moments and memories from growing up in Ireland. Each vessel is hand-cast, making every D8 Candle unique. Better yet, they are refillable, reusable and can be repurposed. Specialist florist Laura Beasley introduces Paper Daisy at this year’s CREATE presentation, whose dried floral arrangements are the epitome of luxe beauty in any setting.

This year CREATE will boast work from critically acclaimed Irish artist, Orla de Brí for the first time ever. Sculptor Orla de Brí’s unique, elegantly stylized figures and objects are familiar to many, moulded in a variety of materials including bronze, steel, stone and fibreglass. De Brí has had six major solo shows, completed over twenty-five large-scale public sculpture commissions internationally and her work is housed in many significant private collections, including that of actress Hilary Swank.

Brown Thomas celebrates a host of emerging Irish designers

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