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HEMLINES EIGHT ON TEN As we wrap a transformative
decade – on all fronts - an octet of Dublin’s sartorial movers and shakers talk progressions, regressions and teeing up the 2020s. words Amelia O’Mahony-Brady AISLING FARINELLA Editor/Creative Director (Thread), Stylist, Creative Consultant “The shift in the perception, recognition and appreciation of Irish fashion over the last ten years has been monumental. This change of tide has been slowly, laboriously swept in by a wave of incredible talent, consistently reworking and reinvigorating notions of Irish identity and heritage and consolidating our contemporary relevance within the global fashion industry. “Simone Rocha’s artistry and modern femininity, JW Anderson’s twisting of convention and Richard Malone’s heralding of the working woman, each firmly rooted in their Irish upbringing and identified as some of the most important designers and voices in global fashion industry today. Sinead Burke twirling onto the scene, advocating for design for all and shattering glass ceilings with glamorous flair. With pride, their achievements are celebrated as household names, but forging equally important paths in reimagining Irish fashion are the independents, graduates, photographers, stylists, creatives, activists, agencies and publishers pushing, challenging, progressing tirelessly over the last ten years. Thread, Franc, Junior… all and any DIY publishing have helped to evolve Irish fashion, nurturing the homegrown and creating connectivity with the international. There are so many highlights and bright lights. Andrew Nuding’s photography and Kieran Kilgallon’s styling. Designer Natalie B Coleman speaking at a UN Summit in Nairobi. Andrea Horan rallying fashion communities to Repeal the 8th. “To step back from it all and regard the achievements of such a tiny industry, the immense change forged over the last ten years and all without any real support structure, it’s the community, relationships, collaborations and overriding sense of who we are which will continue to drive us forward. Hopefully the future landscape of fashion to which we can contribute is one which will respect our planet, our mental health, celebrate our bodies and continue to reflect our everchanging society.” NIKKI CREEDON Owner, Havana “Fashion, in my opinion, has changed enormously over the past decade. We have seen an enormous change in younger, less well known designers heading up major fashion houses, i.e Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga/Vetements and Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent. “Street fashion has become more important for fashion followers than magazines. Everyone wants everything instantly. There’s a huge importance on influencers: they promote the trends, and play a [pivotal part] in sales. On a personal basis, I’ve experienced living with one daughter and three step daughters, who have clothes coming through the door on a weekly basis; paying pittance for bad quality clothes, claiming it is social suicide to be seen in the same dress twice on Instagram (this is such a major problem that I don’t see changing). “Havana is a small, independent retailer that has been in business for 25 years – now, the Internet and social media play an essential part of the store’s image and sales, so they have to be part of everyday business. As a bricks and mortar business, service is key to keeping it successful. Accessories have become huge. Obviously branding [also], but I think this might change.” AILEEN CARVILLE CEO/Founder, SKMMP “Fashion has undergone immense transition over the past ten years. The traditional Fashion Week platform is still very important, but how business is done is changing season by season. Stockholm Fashion Week, for example, have cancelled ‘Fashion Week’ in exchange for a fully digitised event; something SKMMP is helping SFW figure out for their Designers wholesale campaign. “Digitisation offers designers a global market, and yet the consumer wants to understand the origin and provenance of the collection. Expectations around a sustainable fashion supply chain is prompting designers to examine their core brand values, how collections are manufactured, shipped, consumed and resold into the growing pre-loved designer market. “For SKMMP, one of the key takeaways from LFW and PFW was the short and ‘honest’ supply chain Irish designers work from. Realistically, this is a default due to volume and sales generated, but it is becoming a more attractive proposition for bigger exclusive retailers that want to champion the smaller supplier. “Buyer behaviour during fashion week sales appointments has changed completely – buyers have less time to discover and order collections, and yet they need to fulfill their budgets for the season ahead. Services such as SKMMP’s (online showroom solutions [catering to] multi-brand showrooms and in-house designer sales teams) fit into this new model to support change and efficiency.” 20 Clockwise from left: Colin Horgan AW19; Simone Rocha, AW19; Anastasia wearing Issey Miyake, by Sarah Doyle; Styling by Aisling Farinella, photo Andrew Woffinden; Lorna Foran wearing Richard Malone; Helen Steele X Dunnes Stores; JW Anderson SS20