Fashion made in Ireland

For a new exhibition, Second Skin at the National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, curator Louise Allen posed a challenge to four Irish fashion labels: Jennifer Rothwell, Joanne Hynes, Natalie B Coleman and Lennon Courtney.

Each had to design, source and produce a garment or range of clothing on the island of Ireland and document the opportunities and difficulties in doing so.

The project involved collaborations with third-level institutes, organisations and producers from Donegal to Wicklow. The results are stunning, and include (pictured left) a grey silk dress designed by Natalie B Coleman with digital fabric printing by The Silk Bureau, pattern drafter Julie Tuohy, sewing technician Audrone Jomantiene.

The Second Skin exhibition will run in Kilkenny until January 25th, 2015, followed by a Dublin location (to be confirmed). It will tour to London City Hall in March as a core exhibition marking Irish Year of Design.

Fashion makes its appearance at the Kilkenomics festival today with a discussion on Fashion and Ethics in Cleere’s, Parliament Street, Kilkenny at 4.15pm.

Contributors to what promises to be a lively debate, include Joanne Hynes, Jennifer Rothwell, Margot Wasz, Eleanor Tiernan and Peter Antonioni (author of Economics for Dummies). Tickets €15 and €13. kilkenomics.com

Deirdre McQuillan