By Colette Fitzpatrick
Each year, the Irish fashion institution that is Brown Thomas curates a selection of emerging and established Irish design in a special showcase called, “Create”. Bringing together clothing, accessories, homewares, jewellery and beauty products that are impeccably made by hands in Ireland, it is a chance to uncover the most beautiful brands.
I, personally, discovered a selection of labels that I was familiar with and some very special new gems that I want to know more about. In fact, I may have found my birthday present…
The brand that most captured my heart was Four Threads. Or, one garment in particular – but more on that in a moment. Using ethically sourced, beautiful, high-quality fabric, they produce stunning investment pieces that combine traditional Irish materials and prints with timeless silhouettes and give garments a contemporary twist. These are pieces that you can pull out of your wardrobe for the rest of your life and make an outfit more refined and effortlessly cool. Designer Alanagh Clegg’s silk tees, linen cross body bags and loosely tailored pants are all beautiful but the hero piece of the collection has to be The Coat. In bottle green tartan, made from 100% Irish cotton and with a body-skimming silhouette, this stunning piece has me utterly obsessed.
Sarah Murphy’s truly beautiful garments also deserve a mention and they are the kind of delightfully sustainable, utterly pretty party frocks that are destined to be worn by starlets and savvy collectors alike; I can readily imagine Saoirse Ronan or Elle Fanning in them, while coveting them for myself. From velvet and mesh dresses to cold-shoulder sequinned knits to poofy ballroom skirts, she takes traditional ideas from Irish design and breathes new, adorable life into them.
Other highlights among the curation of brands include Jill & Gill‘s Limited Edition graphic tees featuring Iconic women such as Debbie Harry, Anna Wintour and Grace Jones; Domino Whisker‘s emotional embroidered prints; Mariad Whisker’s elegant wardrobe staples; Ale Walsh‘s stunning bags and jewellery; Una Burke‘s iconic leather accessories; Ala Sinkevich’s NCAD grad pieces; a whole host of talented milliners; and Helena Malone‘s beautiful pearl jewellery. Oh, and, of course, our very own buzzed-about Richard Quinn‘s intense florals, with his dress worn by Amal Clooney to the Met Gala this year on display in the front windows of the store.
If you love Irish design, there is no better place to head this summer so get thyself to BT before the 12th of August and check out these incredible brands!
Want more fashion content? Check out this interview with Buffy The Vampire Slayer Costume Designer, Cynthia Bergstrom and the Street Style At Seoul Fashion Week AW18.
beanmagazine.net 