Dublin Independent Fashion Week hits a new high on its fourth edition.
Dublin Independent Fashion Week (DIFW) shows us the potential for independent designers in Ireland. For the fourth year in a row, for one week in September, Dublin was transformed.
Cafés became exhibition spaces, museums became fashion runways, and Irish independent designers had a platform to showcase their work here in Ireland. Every year, DIFW spreads its wings a little wider, and this year was no exception with the opening ceremony being held in the GPO and over 40 events taking place across the week.
DIFW was founded in 2023 by a group of designers struggling with the lack of infrastructure in place to support their work. The sparse job opportunities and lack of funding often leaves designers with a devastating choice – to abandon either their craft or their country. The DIFW team work to change this.
They provide what they themselves were lacking as designers – an accessible platform to showcase their work and create connections within the creative industry in Ireland. DIFW was entirely volunteer-led up until this year, when it became an official non-profit organisation.
The opening ceremony Postmarked took the form of a live fashion exhibition where the models moved slowly around the room, stopping to allow the audience to take in the details of their clothes.
“In slowing down the traditional runway, we wanted to give audiences the opportunity to really notice the craftsmanship and skill behind the work made here, experiencing them almost like living artworks”, says Postmarked producer and DIFW chairperson, Mihai Mar.
The opening ceremony gave a taste of the week ahead, featuring one look by each of the designers participating in this year’s fashion week. The show took inspiration from its location in the GPO, with the models moving in a slow queue towards the postal counters, as though posting each Irish designer’s work off to be shared with the world.
The opening ceremony certainly set the tone for the week ahead, exhibiting the abundant and diverse talent of Ireland’s emerging designers. The biggest disappointment was not being able to attend every single event, although we did our very best! Some personal standouts from the week were Dare to Howl, Kapaeri, Not Another Dove, Chloe Cooke Design, and Cú Mara.
Dare to Howl’s Howl Generation runway show was a truly immersive experience held underground the CHQ building in EPIC. Dare to Howl designer Hollie Marie Gallagher blended past and future through her use of traditional Donegal tweed and bold, sculptural silhouettes.
The soundscape, set, choreography, hair styling, and makeup complemented the designs perfectly; the show was so sure of itself that the audience had no choice but to be transported into the world of Dare to Howl. The show was a reminder that the true magic of fashion week comes from collaboration, not just among fashion designers, but across all of the arts.
Not Another Dove was one of five designers whose work showcased at On The Bias in Hen’s Teeth. Designer Maria Patriarca created structured pieces with playful details and unexpected hemlines. The military inspired designs were softened with bows and symbols of doves, changing their impact entirely. The collection was distinctive while being extremely wearable.
The Éadach Ealaíne collective runway show was held in the historic Pearse Centre, with models walking through the reception rooms wearing designs by seven emerging designers.
A showstopper for me was Kapaeri – their collection played with traditional tweed jackets and white dresses, transforming them into something almost other-worldly through their striking use of form and structure.
Chloe Cooke Design x Cú Mara showcased the debut collections of two Grafton Academy students entering their final year, Chloe Cooke and Cornelia Mcnamara.
Instead of putting on a runway show, the designers presented their collections as an exhibition in the Fumbally Stables, with clothes hanging on the walls, on mannequins, and on clothes lines stretching across the room. Through this showcase style, they invited the audience to slow down and spend time with their detailed work.
Since its founding just 4 years ago, Dublin Independent Fashion Week has paved the way for emerging designers in Ireland. Although it lasts only one week, DIFW shows us what is possible year round – the spaces are here, the public demand is here, the talent is certainly here. Most importantly, DIFW provides hope for the future of fashion in Ireland.
The Éadach Ealaíne collective put it best: “We live for what we do, and we are just getting started. You won’t want to miss what’s next.”
Words: Jane McDaid
Photos: Saoirse McAllorum & Ella O’Brien
For more info on Dublin Independent Fashion Week: dublin-ifw.com
