FASHION:LONDON-BASED Irish designer Tim Ryan presented his first solo catwalk show last night at Tripod nightclub, unveiling his spring/summer 2009 knitwear collection as part of Motorola Dublin Fashion Week.
Staged in an installation-style format by the new presenter of Off the Rails, Sonya Lennon, the clothes featured elaborate ribbon yarn fringing and layered lacework on dresses inspired, according to the designer, by Canadian singer Buffy Sainte-Marie, a childhood idol whose songs accompanied the show.
Conceived as a merging between day and evening wear, the collection's figure-skimming dresses in chevron knits with long black and white fringing, suggestive both of Navajo Indian and 1920s flapper styles, were sassy and sexy. Colours were subdued; gunmetal grey, putty and beige were in contrast to the more exuberant, glamorous shapes, which included off-the-shoulder fine vests, long 1950s-style ballerina skirts in viscose lurex and diagonal lace tops hung with silver bells. Yarns in linen, cotton or lurex were fine, 10 gauge and sheer.
"It doesn't look like knitwear'', said model Asheena Naidoo, shimmying in her fringed skirt. "I love the movement and the sheer tops are so understated."
The designer from Puckane, Co Tipperary, learned to knit at the age of seven, studied fashion and sculpture, and afterwards established a cult following in Dublin for his circular skirts and single construction knits. Now based in Canary Wharf, his clients include Hollywood film stars.
The collection will also be presented at London Fashion Week next month. Last night Ryan, the 2008 recipient of the €10,000 John Rocha Dublin Fashion Week bursary, paid tribute to the designer. "It has allowed us to do this show. It is hugely generous of a designer who understands what the business is like to give money to a struggling one. His support has been a huge help."