The burgeoning international success of the Irish fashion and beauty sectors was showcased to a key overseas audience at the Enterprise Ireland Irish Fashion & Beauty Showroom in Zurich’s historic Zunfthaus zur Meisen guild hall on September 2nd.
The showroom featured a carefully selected group of Irish fashion and lifestyle brands including Celtic Tweed, John Hanly & Co, Landa Leather, McNutt of Donegal, Moon + Mellow, Ted 1942, O’Neil of Dublin and Urban Aran. Also featured were leading Irish beauty and wellness brands including Inis, Hildun Beauty and The Smooth Company.
Designed as a high-quality sourcing and networking event, offering buyers direct access to founders, decision makers and products in an intimate and commercially focused environment, the event enabled meaningful conversations, hands-on product discovery and the opportunity to identify brands with genuine potential for growth within Switzerland and across Europe.
“For retailers seeking brands that combine authenticity, sustainability, craftsmanship and innovation, Ireland is increasingly becoming a source of exciting opportunities across both fashion and beauty,” says Enterprise Ireland market adviser Kenny Legg.
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“The showroom showcased exceptional products as well as telling the wider story of modern Ireland, a country where heritage and innovation work hand in hand, creating brands that are winning recognition from consumers, retailers and industry leaders around the world.”
Switzerland has been a relatively untapped market for Irish fashion and beauty brands until now, according to his colleague and fellow market adviser Jane Greene. “Swiss consumers are very discerning, with high spending power, and there is definitely potential for these companies to win new business and build partnerships in the market. The showcase helped us bring these brands to a new audience who appreciate design and strong heritage.”
During the two-day visit to Zurich, the companies received expert advice on how to sell into Switzerland along with a “retail safari” tour of key department stores and boutiques. The showcase, held on the second day, attracted dozens of buyers, stylists, distributors, retailers, influencers and industry professionals who were provided with a unique opportunity to discover emerging and established Irish brands that are successfully competing on the global stage.
The showroom was highly successful, according to Legg. “We had great support from the Irish embassy in Bern in organising the event. We had buyers from leading department stores, as well as the Maison Gassmann multi-brand fashion boutique and luxury fashion boutique Quaglia Zurich in attendance,” he says. “Typically, these buyers would go to Milan or Paris. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to put Irish brands in front of them in Zurich and help them bring something new and exciting to their customers.”
Ireland is “very much on trend at the moment”, says Legg. “For example, PKZ, the leading independent fashion house in Switzerland, with 40 stores across the country, featured Ireland in its stores this summer.”
This reflects the resurgence of Irish fashion, says Greene. “Some of the industry’s most influential creative voices now hail from Ireland, including Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Dior, Simone Rocha, and Seán McGirr of Alexander McQueen,” she adds. “Alongside them, a new generation of Irish designers such as Róisín Pierce, Michael Stewart of Standing Ground and Robyn Lynch are attracting international attention through their distinctive creative vision and commitment to craftsmanship.”
She also points to another trend: “Fashion brands across Ireland are rediscovering and reimagining the country’s rich textile heritage. Drawing inspiration from centuries of expertise in wool, linen and tweed production, Irish brands are transforming traditional techniques into contemporary luxury collections that resonate with modern consumers. Today, quality, authenticity and craftsmanship have become increasingly valuable attributes, positioning Irish fashion brands at the intersection of heritage and innovation.”
The international spotlight on Irish fashion continues to intensify, says Legg. “Dublin will host Dior’s first-ever runway show in Ireland in December 2026, a milestone expected to attract global media, buyers and fashion leaders while underscoring Ireland’s growing influence within luxury fashion.”
Alongside fashion, Ireland’s beauty and wellness sector has emerged as one of the country’s most dynamic consumer industries, Greene points out. “The sector is building an international reputation for combining scientific credibility, high-quality ingredients, sustainability and authenticity,” she says.
“Ireland’s beauty and personal care market now exceeds €1.2 billion, with much of its growth being driven by independent entrepreneurs who have built brands around purpose, innovation and customer needs.
“These businesses are proving that global influence is no longer limited to multinational corporations. Instead, founder-led brands with compelling stories and effective products are establishing loyal customer bases far beyond Ireland’s shores. From internationally recognised fragrance collections and specialist beauty products to viral social-commerce success stories, Irish beauty brands are increasingly attracting attention from retailers seeking differentiated products that align with evolving consumer expectations.”
