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FLYING THE FLAG GARB GARB words Sinéad O’Reilly F
ASHIONABLE FLEA MERCHANTS Since forcedly departing from their decade-long home in Newmarket Square this past May, there’s been a Dublin-Flea shaped hole in everyone’s heart – so the market’s triumphant return to the Point across two December weekends is not to be missed. Those searching for stylish, sustainable gifts will be spoilt for choice, with highlight stalls including Jump the Hedges, Kate’s Sample Sale and Kathryn Davey (her handdyed socks are a personal favourite). Cement these dates in your calendar: December 6-9 & 13-16. @dublinflea We sat down with Hannah Choy O’Byrne afterhours in Thirty Four, café below where her studio is located, to discuss her latest collection, a meditation on unlocking the spirt of our inner child and losing our inhibitions in an age when it feels like Big Brother is always watching. From the second I spied her imaginative garms in Atelier 27, Hannah Choy O’Byrne’s work had me hooked. I was instantly struck by her knack for making frills – a former reserve of Laura Ashley frocks and kawaii costumes – look achingly cool. Her soft spot for mustard silks and shots of cobalt was equally commendable, all of which formed the defining traits of her AW16 wares; wares that would later cloak Æ MAK’s founding members for their rousing music video, I Can Feel It In My Bones. By the time I stumbled upon these pieces, Choy O’Byrne’s post-grad CV had already ballooned. First amassing work as a kidswear designer for Dunnes Stones, she returned to cultivating womenswear collections (securing a studio space in Rathmines’ MART, where she would come to exhibit amongst other creatives) whilst tutoring children at a fashion school, ultimately nabbing a Ones to Watch nomination at Kerry Fashion Week. Notwithstanding her domestic success, she was bitten by the Amsterdam bug whilst still in NCAD – having relished a three month internship with Bas Kosters during her BA – and after several months spent travelling around Asia, she swiped up a coveted internship to creatively assist at Viktor & Rolf. The following year was a flurry of tireless graft and technical skill-honing: Choy O’Byrne directly worked with the Head of Atelier on the label’s most tongue-in-cheek couture collection to date, which showcased in Paris this past January. Graphic typography with meme-worthy statements skipped across a rainbow of layered tulle, ripping up the traditional couture rulebook whilst still retaining a strong sense of workmanship. The experience only enhanced Choy O’Byrne’s thirst for storytelling through fashion – with Dublin now back in her headlights, her foremost creative plan entails “a project relating to the connection between modern society and history, with an emphasis on craft”. A couturier-trained talent – whose work circumvents any fuss or froufrou – could be just what our industry needs. @hannahchoyobyrne Refresh your Rigout... with a pair of ‘Big Face Earrings’ - a worthy alternative to this summer’s Picasso-earring compulsion - from freshly-launched Dublin label This Jewellery - @thisjewellery HEMLINES FLYING THE FLAG II FLYING THE FLAG Anthony Peto – a charming chapelier who jets between ateliers in South Anne Street and Central Paris – commenced his career as a London art editor. An appreciation for artisanal craft has forever characterised his creative mindset, but it was only a matter of time before he stopped talking about masterpieces and started making them. Peto set up his Parisian shop “on a whim” some 27 years ago, expecting little more than to fabricate a few hats, but his fledging business landed at the perfect moment: fashion consumers and critics alike were suddenly hankering after headgear, particularly in Paris, and Peto saw a chance to champion his made-to-measure hats in an (as yet) unsaturated market, catering to older and young clientele in equal abundance. He spearheaded the donning of fedoras – now ubiquitous with most mens’ fashion weeks – in a manner entirely fresh to late 20th-century onlookers, preceding their Instagram-age explosion in popularity. The desire to connect with a city that still boasted some community spirit, coupled with persistently-itchy feet, drew him to Dublin several years ago: the securing of HEMLINES words Amelia O’Mahony-Brady words Amelia O’Mahony-Brady Few creatives have merged mediums as dextrously as Dublin polymath Aoife Dunne. With an extensive career trajectory that crosses continents with ease, she melds the worlds of costume design, fashion styling and large-scale artworks. Her feeds are bursting at the seams with project announcements. This summer, she’s added yet another feather to her jewelencrusted cap with a week’s residency in Margate Location House, whose “acid-aesthetic” interiors go hand-in-hand with Dunne’s personal style. “Walking-art-installation” is the simplest way to describe her look. The spoils of her creative output are now splashed across @efadone and @margatelocationhouse for all spectators to see. Between these visuals and Aoife’s freshly-minted website, you’ll find no better colour fix. aoifedunne.com THE PAINTED LADY CALLED FROM THE BAR HATS OFF “Have we met before?” she asks. About a year ago outside Grogans I remind her. We were amongst a group of NCAD graduates huddled together for warmth, swapping tales of post-college tribulations and reminiscing. It was here that I first heard about Choy’s broken hands and the seemingly impossible graduate collection that followed, something of legend on the fashion course now though Choy would never admit it. Three months before the graduate show, Choy London-goers, make sure to catch Fashion Space Gallery show Inside Arc which liberates precious archive pieces from their vaults. Replete with masterfully-crafted garments and accessories, highlights of the show include items from Givenchyera John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, and accomplished Irish designer Sorcha O’Raghallaigh. Her featured creation, a vibrant embroidered cape from her Central Saint Martins graduate collection boasting an abundance of semi-precious jewels and prayer beads, must be marvelled at in the flesh. Running until 28th July. fashionspacegallery.com IN THE REFLECTIVE AGE No-one can meld fashion designing and disk jockeying quite like Louisa Jane. She’s been clocking up followers across both circuits for quite some time, but the gateway through which I first encountered her work was fantastically-colourful “neck candy”. Take one look at these playful necklaces – drenched in primary hues, their hand-crafted forms recall building blocks – and her creative influences will prove unsurprising: Matisse, Miró, Bauhaus… Her polychromatic approach also extends to childrenswear, while her latest textural experiment (a once-off, hand-painted shift dress) went down a treat at Om Diva’s 20th birthday bash. Most Louisa Jane Design pieces are made-to-order, but some prêt-à-porter necklaces can be purchased in Hen’s Teeth (with a web shop soon to follow). For a final bout of visual feasting, make sure to check out her new photo series with Sarah Doyle, a fellow colour fiend. louisajanedesign.com im both a hat shop (officially opened in late 2015) and a house swiftly followed. Peto’s technical prowess typifies each new collection, the latter feasted upon by individualistic dressers, but his artistic influences are chameleon-like – continually shifting and shaped by his frequent travels. He is undoubtedly defined by his usage of colour, however, steering clear of drab shades in favour of more Mediterranean hues. This month marks his umpteenth return to Pitti Uomo (June 11-14), a week of “life-enhancing experiences” permanently stamped on the mens’ fashion calendar. Showcased in Florence twice a year, this trade-fair-meets-sartorialextravaganza is famed for its Peacocks (i.e the impeccably-clad men who attend), many of whose heads have been embellished by Peto. Keep an especially close eye out for Niamh O’Donoghue and Jake McCabe, seasoned Pitti frequenters from Dublin who have collaborated with Peto over the last few seasons: their latest batch of soon-to-be-revealed bespoke hats, inspired by an extensive trip to the Far East, are set to be truly spectacular. insta: @anthonypeto / @anthonypetodublin IN THE WORDS OF PHILIP TREACY, “HATS MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD, AND THAT’S THE POINT OF THEM.” WE TALK TO TWO SUCH LOCAL DESIGNERS WHO WANT TO INSTILL THE FEEL GOOD FACTOR. Right: cape by Sorcha O’Raghallaigh Below: Aoife Dunne at her studio went over the handlebars of her bike and broke both of her arms. “Ah I’m grand!” she said after the fall, in what I now understand to be typical Choy fashion. 12 hours later she was on the operating table having a plate and three screws put into her arms. Bed-bound, unable to move her fused arms and with the first fitting in four days she realised she was “completely screwed”, in every sense of the word. With full recovery time estimated at 12 weeks, like funding and planning. But seeing what you’ve created being worn is a really amazing feeling, it sort of gives you a boost to get through those boring bits. What were you looking into for your SS16 collection? I star et d by looking at the artwork of Wesley Triggs and François Morelli, they’re very geoher tutors heavily advised that she defer the year. “They said ‘these are great, I can totally see these t very r pleopd and co lo . I th ugoey ret thse s uct pos nble it was.hapnyo e e s er attitt no hought twice ab rat throwing in thy nice 100% co on anory aa ou metric abstract artists. Their lines f ro med the shapes in the garments and the mood of the collection was insp eir d by a young Patti Smith, desig jus ns on e axele’, but I think th h ali d he tr ow ure asi d linear s” A es, w n ith hl e migh ude wast have t a nice little co ton ust. I used a reall e towel but anotther st d a lbmbt a p’s le rtha ver us stve h w fresen d e io, I lo uden ot cemh te anoy’s decision to trun n mn. “Thoy toeel. I like rout a girurs, but I m eyser wriosuld wear a loet and then had to defer again. I knew I couldn’t wait around for a year. I’d just be moping and I Ch d crisp wearing co ottdle o akes ye u f ld me ab f esh colol who broke h lf w t and deferr d of black. When I’m designing I tend to think ‘fresher’ than maybe just designing for myself. wanted to get on with it.” For the six weeks when Choy was completely unable to move her arms, she adopted a Matisselike approach to work, enlisting the help of everyone from her granny to her boyfriend to help create the collection. Her inexperienced but diligent volunteers were delegated to cutting patterns and sewing garments. In the remaining six Could you tell us about your design process? I will start by looking around me, usually going to IMMA and compiling imagery on the internet. I tend to save a lot of imagery, not even specifically for that collection, but for the future. I also look at people around the streets and get the mood from how I’m feelA NEW COLLECTION AND ONLINE VENTURE SEW SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE FABRIC OF THEIR OPERATIONS. ir d her new mf weeks, her arms were beginning to regain mobility, though not very willingly. Yet the looming deadline, says Choy, “actually helped recovery [because] I just had to do it, I just had to sew a little bit more. I think I would have been lazier about the exercises otherwise.” Six outfits later she had a collection, to disbelief of pretty much everyone including her tutors. It’s clear that Choy does not like being told what she can or can’t do. After a year long stint designing for Dunnes Stores abiding by the constraints of the commercial industry where profits trump expression every time, she felt an urge to f What kind of woman do you see wearing old an exhibition of her personal work, though she founA g l wh ’os quite coly le n able in who th’t so r ea tsilay f argottten. “They were sti TWO JEWELLERY DESIGNERS FROM ROSCOMMON AND VENEZUELA TRACE THE PATH TO WHERE THEIR CAREERS ARE AT RIGHT NOW. WARNING — IT INVOLVED BAR WORK. lex her creative muscles again. Choy decided to h your designs? h t hos a s rong sense of their oll sligh ln sy ‘wearable’ b cau es y u co aran be s urn t ise r e commut wao woould brain off. Thrk. Soa etimes yo otalunly diffteren d w h h guess so ey t ke iaw t aord w r it t nu might o aroretd habits wereney a e, w t tyle. I guess someetimse it’s h d to t urp h d abo ercihl side of y ur b uy your woen I remlised I do ’t want t e in thn image in yl ind e try.” F llo body his eph h n n be to g sev w unadul ualitt d side of her b o c a g e wot arnd not be worried about it being commIer’ cial a d sl llin . I g on Al W16, so t m currn t een y wogrk t’ins slow y getting bherk tac ’s ge o oing hat I used to do” w to be a little cha.nge-up and be much d kar er than p Ch io s co t coio s. I n, her least cohe phcital to dphra ate since her departh e from Dunnes, ies in her reflerk, sn of a’s going ti o be a bioint w ere sh tic. It re oy’s l v u at leslect lle allow her ide s t cep t an e coa e a c aract st enr yoursein.e g cursing and being self-effacing when discussing the concept of the collection because it’s rea y about not giving a fuck and just being really chilled.” jo beeading. The d karcere wh a bi f th t o d m lle k ctioh y of Sally Mann, ture mood she creat s a woctio o it n arr val to a p t m hore roman will be a to a h m m fre le y. Ch y beocomesbtle k y but not insin er nig ts a scw ysin o dress ue con-p n. “I juer fo d up b lf Edel Traynor is stocked at Atelier 27, Drury Street, Dublin 2. You can see ore of her work at edeltraynor.com Cleo Prickett, Capulet and Montague, Callan… the labels currently holding court in Bloss read like a call sheet for the city’s hottest design talents. How fitting that this Dundrum Town Centre pop-up was conceived by two designers celebrated in their own right – Emma Manley (of Manley) and Jenny Huston (of Edge Only). With 38 established and emerging brands under the one roof, and a slick kitting-out to boot, you now know where to concentrate your Christmas wish-list. Open until January 7 @blossintl e wah oy y u think. The lastt yeler was e can uc o rorae feminine woith s me su hen dillo us ou t g th ll nctio’m looking at tmmero ogod n exercise in un c ing t a n,h t b have ae commerciaour husad of somewing t, but tipe a ayy c , she fBLOSSd a s, BLOSS BABnYe thntinue h w en tit h er o n wnk creeaatin heir o n way collections, eacmeb h a hy w o appreciates goolo k d desig nice qtera ey, and think that thrain ay ce gaan inoin. “Y u hara t thh iece ine pn e th to t eir wardrobe as a s ap a. still breaking that down. It’s t ka en a year to enjoy thWhark ae you working on next? WASTE NOT. WANT NOT. udio s ace at apnd I likd coat. I like eral more. I corpovete Refresh your Rigout... with a pair of Fake Fancys. Translation: earrings that’ll make the rest of your jewellery box jealous. €30; emmalarkindesign.com ing, and put them all together and that would be my research process. I would go on to sketch and take elements from painters I like, it tends to mostly be artists that I’m inspired by. Then I’d start toileing up and it evolves from the design work. It’s nice to sew up a few designs and see how they’re working together, and at that stage of the making I would put a critical eye to it. That’s the most exciting part of doing a collection – seeing it come to life. We produce everything in Dublin, as it’s still small scale, I would work on the samples and toiles, but my machinist sews up all of the production. It’s easily contained at the moment which is nice because I get to have control over everything and be very particular. Do you have any favourite designers or style icons? In terms of designers, I like the new wave of London designers like Craig Green, who has a really interesting style, he has a great balance of creativity and conceptual work, and still manages to be commercial. I like Faustine Steinmetz for her technique and fresh colours. I guess these are designers that have a nice signature and know their brand. I think everybody loves FKA twigs, she’s got such a cool style that I think anyone would love to see her in their clothes. Kazumi – 36 Molesworth Street – T 083-355 17 80