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HEMLINES WE CAN BE ROYAL A tapestry of talented I
rish designers credit the Royal College of Art in London for their metamorphoses. We speak to them and their head of fashion Zowie Broach. words Amelia O’Mahony-Brady Whilst eager in her effusions, make no mistake: Zowie Broach isn’t one to bestow indiscriminate praise. Evidenced from her Boudicca days onwards (an avant-garde fashion label she co-founded with Brian Kirkby, side-stepping sartorial convention since ’97), Broach’s eager eye for talent-spotting is unmistakably sharp. Subsequent strides into fashion education – encompassing stints at the University of Westminster, Parsons, et al – have proven her a consummate champion of students-as-individuals. Five years into her reign as RCA’s Head of Fashion, this stance feels more solid than ever – copy-and-paste course material is swapped for a “cultivation of unique voices,” all of whom comprehending fashion’s core attributes: “craft, identity, expression and storytelling”. So when she speaks highly of Ireland’s creative essence – citing, in particular, her department’s profusion of Irish design talents – her words are heartfelt, and by no means a handout. “We have a sleuth of the Irish who are doing phenomenally well! It’s funny how, without them researching where they’re from, the spirit of the land courses through them… We’ve gotten these deeply curious, deeply passionate designers who [exhibit] such strength and drive.” There are myriad reasons why RCA and its imaginative Irish are so well-suited. The former has revolutionised design tutelage in recent years, evolving with particular fervour following Broach’s arrival. A penchant for creative crosspollination has characterised her approach: the college’s studio melds menswear, womenswear and accessories students, their domains traditionally divided, while idiosyncratic projects spawn partnerships with scientists and philosophers. In short, they haven’t so much pushed the fashion-ed envelope as set it aflame. RCA’s Irish clan, meanwhile, embody a “raw, creative energy” that surges through their bloodstream, alongside a natural capability towards craft – but within this acclaimed cohort, comprising MA Fashion students and alumni, no two design identities are remotely the same. Among 2017’s graduates, Michael Stewart displayed a resoundingly-strong vision for “couture, shape, form and fluidity”, while Colin Horgan encased his empowered women in PVC and tech-enhanced textiles. 2018 welcomed the emergence of Sinead O’Dwyer, whose visually-arresting work dismantles the damage of body elitism. As the countdown to 2019’s final-year showcase reaches its home stretch, two freshly-honed talents are on track to debut: Rebecca Marsden 20