A SWING tag with a “Made in Ireland” logo was unveiled yesterday in Dublin specifically for the fashion industry by Re-dress a non-profit Irish organisation dedicated to promoting better fashion practices and Irish-made clothing and accessories.
Designers showcased at the event included Eilis Boyle, Deirdre Harte, Eily O Connell, Emma Manley, Heather Finn, Lisa Shawgi and Sinead Doyle.
“Local industry is one of the biggest pillars of sustainability and what we have championed for the past two years,” said
Rosie O’Reilly, a co-founder of Re-dress.
Knits designed by Harte, for example, use recycled wool from discarded jumpers and are made by a group of knitters in Kilkenny. O’Connell’s jewellery is fashioned from old metals, melted down and recast.
The madeinirelandproject.com website gives details of the initiative which is regulated and monitored by Re-dress.
“So many people look for products made in Ireland and there are no distinguishing tags. This will indicate that the product is sexy, new and modern and we hope that fashion shops will want to have it and that it will encourage other designers to base production in Ireland,” said O’Reilly who studied fashion at undergraduate level and has a masters degree in sustainability from TCD.
Doyle, a project member who trained in Venice after graduating from the Limerick School of Art and Design, said there were advantages in being able to manufacture at home rather than abroad.
“A lot of countries where [Irish] designers go for manufacturing are now getting into design, so there is benefit in working closer to home.
“There has been so much focus in Ireland on IT jobs, but manufacturing is important across all industries. People now realise that ‘made in Ireland’ equals jobs in Ireland.”